MASTER 
NEGATIVE 


NO.  94 


10 


COPYRIGHT  STATEMENT 


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Author: 


Edison  Electric  Light 
Company 

Title: 

A  warning  from  the 
Edison  Electric  Light  Co 

Place: 

[  N  e  w  Yo  r  k] 

Date: 

[1 887] 


MASTER   NEGATIVE  * 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DIVISION 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MICROFORM  TARGET 


ORIGINAL  MATERIAL  AS  FILMED  -    EXISTING  BIBLIOGRAPHIC  RECORD 


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Edison  electric  lifht  company.  New  York. 

A  warning  from  the  Edison  electric  light  co. 

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MAIN  ENTRY:    Edison  Electric  Light  Company 

A  warning  from  the  Edison  Electric  Light  Co, 


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A  WARNING 


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EDIBDN  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CD. 


WHILE  this  Company  has  persisted  in  and  will 
continue  its  policy  of  declining  to  be  drawn 
into  a  controversy  in  the  public  prints  upon  matters 
which  are  the  subject  of  litigation  in  the  proper  Courts 
of  Law,  it  is  nevertheless  compelled  at  intervals  to  rec- 
ognize, as  an  obligation  to  the  general  public,  the  neces- 
sity of  re-stating  a  few  facts  which  it  is  the  constant 
effort  of  interested  parties  first  to  befog  and  then  to 
deny. 

The  latest,  most  audacious  and  persistent  effort  in 
this  direction  is  being  made  by  the  Consolidated 
Electric  Light  Company,  at  the  instance  of  its  new 
partners  Mr.  George  Westinghouse,  Jr.,  and  The 
Thomson-Houston  Electric  Company.  The  mis- 
statements and  misrepresentations  put  forth  by  these 
companies  constitute  our  present  apology  for  re- 
calling the  attention  of  the  public  to  a  card  issued  by 
us  under  date  of  May  24th,  1885,  and  supplementing 
the  same  by  a  few  additional  "cautions  "  which  become 
applicable  to  the  present  situation  by  virtue  of  the 
injection  therein,  of  additional  sophistries  designed  to 


11 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


confuse  the  minds  of  those  who  are  only  just  now 
inquiring  into  the  subject  of  Incandescent  Electric 
Lighting. 

By  way  of  further  preface  to  the  card  and  remarks 
to  follow,  it  may  be  observed  that  a  consolidation  of 
ownership  of  patents  which  are,  of  themselves,  intrin- 
sically worthless,  does  not  add  to  their  legal  status  or 
value  nor  to  their  commercial  value.  They  are  still 
intrinsically  worthless  and  must  continue  so  to  be, 
though  alleged  millions  of  money  and  reckless  audacity 
be  massed  behind  them,  save  and  except  only  to  the 
extent  that  such  a  formidable  phalanx  may  inspire  the 
hope  that  the  law  may  be  evaded,  and  the  rich  infractor 
of  the  law  may  go  unpunished  whilst  \}ci^  poor  man  suf- 
fers. 

To  this  hope,  however,  and  by  way  of  parenthesis, 
we  give  notice  that  in  the  instance  in  question  the  law 
is  with  those  who  are  as  abundantly  able  to  command 
its  protection  as  the  others  are  to  circumvent  it.  The 
following  is  a  copy  of  the  card  referred  to : 

New  York,  May  24th,  1885. 

THE  EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO., 
65  Fifth  Aventtk. 

The  Edison  Elkctbio  Light  Company  hereby  gives  notice  to  the  public, 
as  follows : 

FiKST.  That  the  patents  of  Mb.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  now  the  property  of 
this  Company,  fully  cover  the  exclusive  manufacture,  sale,  and  use  of  any 
aad  all  practical  incandescent  electric  lamps. 

Seoond.  That  the  Edison  Company  having  begun  suits  at  law  for  the 


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EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


enforcement  of  its  rights  under  these  patents  will  not  relax  in  their  vigorous 

prosecution. 

Thibd.  That  the  Edison  Company  is  prepared  to  fully  guarantee  and 

protect  all  its  customers,  and  to  prosecute  and  punish  to  the  full  extent  of  the 
law,  all  makers,  sellers  or  users  of  incandescent  lamps  not  duly  authorized 
by  it. 

The  lat«  attempt  to  establish  for  the  Sawyer-Man  patent,  just  issued,  a 
fundamental  character  is  made  upon  wholly  superficial  ground,  and  will  not 
bear  the  test  of  close  analytical  examination.  Edison^s  patent  of  January  37, 
1880,  applied  for  at  the  time  of  his  great  discovery,  covers  broadly  all  the 
elements  of  that  discovery,  and  is,  therefore,  fundamental  and  controlling. 
The  Sawyer-Man  patent,  constructed  in  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  1885, 
but  having  for  its  foundation  unsuccessful  laboratory  experiments,  only  covers 
certain  details  of  manufacture  of  carbons,  as  for  instance,  paper  and  the 
specific  genus  of  material  to  which  it  belongs,  and  is  therefore  secondary  and 
subordinate.  The  claim  that  the  Sawyer-Man  patent  is  fundamental,  simply 
because  the  narrow  and  valueless  claim  to  the  use  of  paper  has  been  illegally 
and  without  notice  to  Edison  broadened  to  a  claim  for  all  fibrous  material, 
carries  its  own  condemnation.  If  anything  more  is  necessary  to  demolish  it, 
it  may  be  stated  that  Edison,  Swan,  and  others  have  already  used  material 
absolutely  non-fibrous  in  preference  to  a  material,  the  claim  for  which  is  now 
held  to  control  the  construction  of  a  practical  lamp.  The  public  have  noth- 
ing to  fear  from  the  use  of  the  lamp  as  supplied  by  the  original  inventor  and 
discoverer,  while  they  render  themselves  liable  for  damages  by  the  use  of  his 
fundamental  patent  f or  a  "  filament  of  carbon"  if  unauthorized  by  the  Edison 
Company. 

THE  EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  COMPANY, 

ByEDWABD  H.  Johnson, 
Vice-President 

In  his  report  to  his  stockholders  ("  Pittsburgh  Despatch,"  Not. 
25, 1887)  Mr.  George  Westinghouse,  Jr.,  makes  a  deliberate  misrep- 
resentation concerning  the  above  mentioned  Sawyer-Man  patent,  in 
the  following  words : 

'*  The  incandescent  lamp  in  its  present  commercial  form  is  a  modem  inven. 
tion,  the  title  of  which  for  a  period  of  several  years  was  fiercely  contended 
for  in  the  Patent  Oflice  by  Thomas  A.  Edison  and  Messrs.  Sawyer  and  Man." 

This  is  absolutely  untrue.  The  patent  which  covers  the  incan- 
descent lamp,  in  its  present  commercial  form,  is  the  filament  patent 

granted  to  Mr.  Edison,  which  waa  not  drawn  into  the  controversy 
at  all 


4t 


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6 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


Mr.  Westinghouse  also  says : 

*'  In  the  meanwhile,  the  Sawyer-Man  invention  was  patented  in  England. 
*'  The  Edison  Company  bought  this  English  patent  through  an  agent,  brought 
"  suit  on  it  and  sustained  it,  and  thereby  obtained  in  England  a  substantial 
**  monopoly  of  electric  incandescent  lighting." 

This  statement  is  false  in  every  particular,  the  fact  being  that  the 
Edison  Company  in  England  brought  suit  on  Mr.  Edison's  filament 
patent  and  sustained  it  and  thereby  obtained  a  monopoly. 

The  method  or  improvement  claim  to  which  Mr.  Westinghouse 
alludes  was  never  the  subject-matter  of  an  interference  between 
Edison  and  Sawyer-Man  in  the  U.  S.  Patent  Office.  It  was  not 
bought  by  the  EngUsh  Edison  Company  but  by  the  English  Swan 
Company — ^then  an  entirely  separate  organization — and  became  the 
property  of  the  EngUsh  Edison-Swan  Co.,  only  by  virtue  of  the  con- 
solidation of  those  two  interests.  It  was,  among  other  patents,  made 
the  subject  of  a  suit  in  the  English  Courts  and  together  with  Edi- 
son's fundamental  filament  patent  was  sustained.  The  English  Co., 
however,  did  not  thereby  and  in  consequence  of  it  obtain  its  monop- 
oly ;  that  monopoly  it  obtained  directiy  and  solely  in  consequence  of 
the  decision  sustaining  the  fundamental  Edison  filament  patent.  In 
complete  corroboration  of  this  statement  we  have  the  fact  that  the 
so-called  fundamental  Sawyer-Man  method  is  not  even  used  by 
Edison  in  the  manufacture  of  his  incandescent  lamp  whereas  it  is 
impossible  to  construct  any  lamp  of  commercial  utility 
without  employing  Edison^ s  filament  of  carbon. 


SUFFICIENCY  DF  PENDING  SUITS. 


It  is  evident  that  Westinghouse,  Thomson-Houston  and 
the  ConsoHdated  Company  (Sawyer-Man)  have  adopted  a 
concerted  programme  to  give  the  impression  that  the  various 
suits     which      the     Edison     Company     have      been      vigorously 


'I 


K  . 


1     :l 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


pushing    on    its    lamp    patents   for  nearly  three   years,   and   on 
its  three-wire  patents  for  over  a  year  (which  was  about  the  date 
of  their  first  infringement),   do  not  control   the    question  of   in- 
fringement of  those  patents  by  the  consolidated  concern,  and  that  the 
question  of  such  infringement  can  be  determined  only  by  separate 
suits  against  them,  and  that  they  are  eager  to  have  such  smts 
brought.      In  point    of  fa^t    a   decision  in  any  of 
our    pending    suits    against    one    infringer    wiU 
practically  be  a  decision  against  all,  the  law  itself 
affording  summary  remedies  to  enforce   the    decision  wherever  il 
will  apply  as  soon  as  it  is  granted.    As  the  trial  of  an  important 
patent  suit  easily  involves  a  cost  of   one,  two,   or  more   hundred 
thousand  dollars,  the  impossibility  of  instituting  and  pressing  exactly 
parallel  suits  in  each  separate  case  of  infringement,  or  against  each 
separate  infringer,  can    be  readily  imderstood;    furthermore,   the 
practice  and  comity  of  the  Federal  Courts  obviate  all  necessity  of 
such  a  course.     The  Thomson-Houston  Company,  therefore,  in  ask- 
ing us  to  institute  new  suits  against  them  on  the  questions  involved 
in  our  previous  suits  against  other  infringers,  or  the  Consolidated 
Company,    in  bringing    a    suit   against   the    Cumberland  Edison 
Company,    are    not    exposing    themselves    to    any    new    risk    or 
asking  us  to  do  anything    more    than    we  were  already  practi- 
cally  doing.      Their  motives   are    doubtiess    to  create  the    false 
impression  that  they  are   not,  for  all  practical  purposes,  included 
in    our    pending  litigation,    and    that    they    are    eager    to    have 
separate  new  suits  brought,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  reaching  of  a 
decision  on  the  questions  at  issue.     They  apparently  would  also 
have  the  public  infer  that  the  questions  at  issue  are  different  or  less 
supportable  than  those  at  issue  with  the  other  infringers.      In  point 
of  fact  they  are  identical.      The  Edison  Company  is  litigating  on 
fundamental  patents,  and  a  decision  in  one  case  and  against  one  in- 
fringer will,   as  stated  already,  determine  its  rights   against  alL 
Hence  the  mere  multiplication  of  suits  can  serve  no  purpose  other 
than  to  weaken  our  position  by  diffusing  our  strength,  which  is 
doubtiess  a  part  of  their  programme. 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


<c 


(« 


« 


In  August  last  the  Edison  Company  received  from  the  Patent 
Office,  after  seven  years  of  delay,  a  patent  on  central  station  distribu- 
tion, so  broad  in  its  character  that,  as  the  Thomson-Houston  Com- 
pany well  say  in  their  circular,  it  will  not  only  control  them,  but,  "  if 
it  can  be  substantiated  at  all,  will  have  a  like  controlling  and  em- 
barrassing ejfifect  upon  every  other  company  in  the  field  seeking  to 
do  incandescent  business  "  (see  Appendix  A).  Upon  the  issue  of 
this  patent,  suit  vras  started  against  The  New  Haven  Electric  Company 
(a  so-called  Thomson-Houston  licensee),  that  company  being  selected 
because  of  its  presenting  a  clear  case  of  infringement  of  some  of  the 
principles  involved,  but,  as  the  Thomson-Houston  Company  them- 
selves admit,  a  decision  in  that  suit  will  have  "  a  like  controlling  and 
"  embarrassing  effect  upon  every  other  company  in  the  field  seeking 
**  to  do  incandescent  business/'  So  will  a  decision  on  our  lamp 
patents,  and  so,  to  the  extent  of  the  questions  involved,  will  a  de- 
cision on  our  other  patents. 

We  think  we  have  shown  that  our  pending  litigation  applies  to 
all;  and  the  attempt  of  the  new  combination  to  deceive  the  public  by 
creating  an  inference  that  they  or  any  of  their  members  can  escape 
the  decision  given  in  these  suits,  or  in  any  of  them,  or  that  there  are 
other  questions  involved  as  against  them,  which  can  be  reached  only 
by  separate  suits  which  the  Edison  Company  is  unwilling  to  start,  is 
dishonorable  in  itself,  and  may  further  serve  as  au  illustration  of  the 
methods  which  the  Westinghouse,  Consolidated  (Sawyer-Man),  Thom- 
son-Houston combination  find  themselves  forced  to  adopt  in  order  to 
appear  to  the  public  as  a  formidable  rival  of  the  Edison  Company  in 
the  Courts  and  in  the  commercial  field.  There  being  no  foundation, 
in  fact,  for  their  pretensions,  they  are  compelled  to  construct  one  in 
fiction.  Doubtless,  since  the  field  of  fiction  is  a  large  one,  and  tem- 
porarily fruitful,  opponents  may  continue  exploring  it ;  but,  as  "  truth 
is  mighty  and  must  prevail,"  we  shall  henceforth,  as  in  the  past,  con- 
tent ourselves  with  only  an  occasional  appearance  by  way  of  caution- 
ing our  friends,  and  the  pubUc  in  general,  against  a  too  ready  accept- 
ance of  future  statements  from  the  above-mentioned  sources. 


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CAUTION  1. 

PATENTB. 

Incandescent  electric  lighting  throughout  the  world  is  foimded 
upon  the  inventions  of  Mr.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  to  whom  patents 
were  granted  therefor  in  all  patent  granting  countries  of  the  world. 
One  of  these  inventions  is  broadly  claimed  in  the  XJ.  S.  Patent  Na 
223,898,  dated  January  27th,  1880,  application  filed  November  4, 
1879,  in  the  following  words : 

"  An  electric  lamp  for  giving  light  by  incandescence  consisting 
of  a  filament  of  carbon  of  high  resistance^  made  as  de- 
scribed and  secured  to  metallic  wires  as  set  forth  '*  (see  Appendix  B). 

This  claim  has  been  litigated  three  times  in  Germany  and  twice 
in  England,  and  been  sustained  in  both  countries  each  and  every 
time.  Suits  on  it  have  been  brought  and  are  now  pending  in  the  U. 
S.  Courts  against  the  Consolidated  (Sawyer-Man),  the  United  States 
and  The  Brush-Swan  Companies.  These  suits  are  being  vigorously 
and  carefully  litigated  with  every  evidence  of  an  ultimate  issue  as 
satisfactory  as  that  obtained  in  Europe  (see  Appendix  C). 

The  lamp  covered  by  the  above-mentioned  patent  is  the  Izey  to 
the  entire  industry  of  incandescent  electric  lighting. 

The  invention  and  the  claim  which  describes  it  have  never  been 
the  subject-matter  of  interference  in  the  Patent  Office,  the  more  or 
less  direct  and  inferential  assertions  of  the  various  parties  to  the 
"  combination  "  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

Furthermore,  the  patent  itself  is  of  prior  date  to  the  worthless 
claim  on  paper  carbon  which  was  in  interference  with  Edison  and 
which  constitutes  in  large  part  the  treacherous  foundation  of  the 
hope  of  the  combination. 

Assimiing,  therefore,  for  the  sake  of  more  clearly  defining  the 
status  of  the  Edison  Company  as  contrasted  with  that  of  its  notorious 
infringers,  that  the  patents  of  both  interests  be  sustained  in  their 
broadest  sense,  the  relative  position  of  the  two  would  be  as  follows : 
The  Edison  Company  would  simply  be  compelled  to  make  its  filament 


lO 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


It 


of  non-flbrous  material— a  material,  by  the  way,  from  which 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  commercial  lamps  have  already  been  made. 
The  "  combination  "  would  be  unable  to  use  the  fundamental  ^i^a- 
ment  at  aU,  and  therefore  would  possess,  even  if  their  claim  were 
maintained,  merely  a  subordinate  improvement,  under  which  they 
could  make  no  lamp. 

Thus  we  see  that,  in  any  event,  Edison  possesses  the  key- 
stone, but  it  is  of  equal  importance  to  note  the  fact  that  the  entire 
arch  was  his  invention  and  that  it  is  secured  to  the  Edison  Company 
by  a  patent  as  broad  and  comprehensive  as  was  ever  issued  by  the  Pat- 
ent Office  of  the  United  States.   We  refer  to  the  patent  which  protects 
his  system  of  electrical  distribution  (see  Appendix  D). 
Those  famihar  with   the  history  of  the  invention  wiU  readily  re- 
call the  furor  created  by  Edison's  announcement,  not  that  he  had 
discovered    how  to  obtain    electric    hght   by   incandescence    (that 
was  old),  but  that  he  had  succeeded  in  sub-dividing  the  electric 
current  by  &  practical  application  of  incandescence.  True  the 
practical  application  involved  a  new  departure  in  incandescent 
lamps,  viz.:    A  filament  or  thread  of  carbon  of  high  resistance,  which 
invention  covers  the  modem  incandescent  lamp,  but  the  filament  lamp 
was  only  a  part— though  an  essential  part— of  the  whole  problem  of 
subdivision.     It  will  be  remembered  that  the  above  announcement, 
though  received  with  implicit  faith  by  the  great  body    of    the    lay 
world,  was,  by  the  professional  element,   absolutely  denied  credence. 
The     technical    world     contradicted,    ridiculed    and    proved    by 
mathematical  formulae,  Edison's  claim  to  be  an  impossibihty ;  never- 
theless, Edison's  discoveries  remained  and  were  attested  before  the 
world    by    the  Paris  Electrical  Exposition  of  1881,   and  Mr.  Edison 
was  then  and  tiiere  not  only  gi-anted  a  diploma,  but  was  also  ad- 
vanced from  a  Chevalier  to  an  Officier  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  as  a 
further  mark  of  appreciation  of  his  great  work  (see  Appendix  E). 

The  Patent  Office  of  the  United  States,  in  granting  Mr.  Edison  a 
broad  patent  on  the  comprehensive  system  thus  recognized  by  the 
learned  scientists  of  Europe,  exercised  such  caution  and  hesitancy  as 
to  allow  the  patent  to  issue  only  after  the  lapse  of  seven  years,  during 


U<  ''--^ 


r  -> 


w 


I 


>    I     ■' 


L 


\.  . 


which  period  the  several  principles  and  methods  enunciated  and 
claimed  in  the  patent  have  come  to  be  established  aa  fundamental 
and  controlling,  to  such  an  extent  as  to  extort  an  outcry  against  the 
patent  on  the  ground  of  its  very  comprehensiveness. 

The  fact  that  its  claims  were  drawn  seven  years  ago  when  their  mean- 
ing and  value  was  known  and  realized  only  by  the  inventor  is  now 
overlooked,  but  the  very  phraseology  of  the  patent  itself  discloses  and 
emphasizes  its  original  and  historic  character,  and  carries  con- 
viction as  to  its  equity.  Its  legality  will  be  taken  care  of  by  this 
company  in  due  course  (see  Appendix  A). 

This  patent,  therefore,  constitutes  the  arc^  and  the  filamentpatent 
the  keystone  of  the  industry  of  incandescent  electric  lighting. 
Both  the  arch  and  the  keystone  must  be  declared  public  prop- 
erty by  the  courts  ere  Mr.  Edison  can  be  safely  deprived  of  his  just 
right  to  that  reward  for  his  great  services,  which  is  the  object  and 
motive  of  a  patent. 

The  industry  offered  to  the  public  by  the  Edison  Company  does 
not  therefore  depend  upon  a  single  issue;  for  quite  apart  from 
the  filament  patent,  the  enterprise  is  abundantly  protected  by  the 
"  system  "  patent ;  and  quite  apart  from  either  or  both  of  these,  the 
detail  patents  owned  by  this  company,  numbering  some  hundreds, 
and  all  bearing  date  as  of  the  pioneer  epoch,  suffice  to  debar  others 
from  a  free  appropriation  of  our  property.  The  system  patent  in 
question  is  No.  369,280,  dated  Aug.  30, 1887,  application  filed  Feb. 
6,  1880  (see  Appendix  D). 

Numerous  other  patents  forming  the  subject  matter  of  some  hun- 
dred and  odd  suits  now  pending,  likewise  and  additionally  hedge 
about  and  protect  the  industry  of  incandescent  electric  lighting  (see 
Appendix  F). 

Both  the  seller  and  ihe  purchaser  of  incandescent  electric  lamps, 
apparatus,  or  systems  of  electric  distribution  for  incandescent  Hghting, 
are  hereby  admonished  and  warned  that  they  become  subject 
to,  and  will  be  held  in  damages  for,  all  violations  of  any  of  the  above 
patents.    Such    result  has  been  achieved  and    damages  been 


12 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


k'    \ 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


■3 


awarded  to  Mr.  Edison  in  Europe,  as  they  most  certainly  will  be 
in  this  country,  when  the  law's  delays  shall  have  been  finally 
OYercome  (see  Appendix  G). 

VALIDITY  DF  PATENTB. 

The  position  taken  by  the  infringers  of  the  Edison  Compan/s 
lamp  patents  is  founded  upon  the  assumption  that  those  patents  have 
met  with  a  premature  death  by  virtue  of  the  supposed  expiration  of 
foreign  patents  ;  that  this  position  is  a  fallacious  one  and  has 
no  foundation  in  fact,  we  not  only  most  emphatically  assert  but  pre- 
sent in  support  of  our  assertion  the  following  opinion  of  most  emi- 
nent counsel:  __    ^««« 

New  York,  Dec.  28,  1887. 

I>EAB  SIR :  Pursuant  to  your  request  we  have  care- 
fully examined  the  Letters  Patent  of  the  United  States 
owned  by  your  Company  and  issued  upon  the  inventions  of 
Mr.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  relating  to  incandescent  electric 
lamps,  with  the  view  of  advising  you  as  to  whether  such 
patents  are  limited  or  affected  by  foreijrn  patents  covering 
the  same  inventions,  the  said  foreign  patents  being  subse- 
quent to  the  date  of  the  applications  upon  which  the  United 
States  patents  were  issued. 

After  this  examination  and  considering  attentively  the 
statutes  bearing  on  this  point  and  the  judicial  interpreta- 
tion of  them,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  giving  our  opinion 
that  the  United  States  patents  referred  to  are  in  no  way 
limited  or  affected  by  such  foreign  patents,  but  are  severally 
valid  for  seventeen  years  from  their  respective  dates  and 
that  they  wUl  be  upheld  to  this  effect  by  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States  whenever  the  question  shall  be  pre- 
sented for  its  decision. 

Yours  respectfully, 

WM.  M.  EVAKTS, 
CLARENCE  A.  SEWARD, 
JOHN  C.  TOMLINSON. 

To  EDWARD  H.  JOHNSON,  Esq., 

President,  &c. 


i^ 


r 


i' 


.J 


CAUTIDN  2. 

FUTILITY  OF  EUARANTEEB. 

As  against  the  warnings  of  the  Edison  Co.,  its  opponents  proffer 
with  great  prodigality  guarantees  of  all  sorts.  They  will  freely  guar- 
antee immunity  from  damages  as  well  as  the  superiority  of  their  wares 
on  all  points. 

Let  us  investigate  these  guaratees. 

Natuke  op  Guarantee. 

1st.  Guarantee  of  patents  offered. 

2d.  Guarantee  against  damages  for  infringement  of  patents  of 
others. 

3d.  Guarantee  of  specific  results  from  a  given  power  expended — 
with  accompanying  guarantee  of  life  of  lamps. 

FoBM  OP  Guarantee. 

1st  Guarantees  given  by  corporate  bodies. 

2d.  Guarantees  given  by  individuals. 

3d.  Guarantees  accompanied  by  collateral  security. 

We  will  consider  them  in  the  order  named. 

1st.  To  guarantee  a  patent  is  to  guarantee  its  validity,  i.  e.,  to  pre- 
determine the  action  of  the  Courts  of  last  resort.  This  is  an  absurdity 
and  a  business  folly  of  which  only  whoUy  irresponsible  and  unscrupu- 
lous concerns  would  be  guilty.  That  is  to  say,  no  one  can  guarantee 
the  final  action  of  the  Courts. 

2d.  To  guarantee  against  damages  for  the  infringement  of  a  patent 
held  by  others  is  a  business  risk;  and  as  such  it  should  (to 
be  of  any  avail)  possess  a  value  equivalent  to  the  aggregate  of 
all  possible  damages. 


14 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


3d.  To  guarantee  specific  results  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
superior  economy,  it  becomes  necessary  to  take  account  of  all  the 
factors  incidental  thereto,  as  for  instance : 

A.  The  effective  candle  power  obtained  per  horse  power  expended. 

B.  The  loss  of  energy  between  dynamo  and  lamp. 

C.  The  life  of  the  lamp  itself. 

If  one  of  these  factors  be  absent  the  remainder  may  be  readily 
made  to  bolster  a  dishonest  guarantee. 

Impbacticability  of  Proving  Guarantees. 

To  measure  accurately  the  horse  power  expended  by  any  given 
motor  is  a  task  of  such  delicacy  as  to  tax  the  resources  of  trained  ex- 
perts and  jurors  of  awards  in  industrial  expositions. 

To  measure  accurately  the  candle  power  obtained  is  even  more 
difficult  and  requires  elaborate  apparatus  with  surrounding  con- 
ditions impracticable,  since  it  is  essential  that  the  measurement,  to 
be  accurate,  must  be  made  with  the  lamps  in  the  position  of  their 
designated  use,  otherwise  the  loss  in  the  conductors  and  intermedi- 
ate apparatus  is  not  taken  into  account. 

To  obtain  the  life  of  lamps  the  element  of  time  must  be  intro- 
duced, since  they  are  guaranteed  to  average  a  given  niunber  of 
hours  of  burning  at  a  rated  candle  power. 

This,  of  course,  precludes  an  immediate  determination  as  to  their 
proper  performance,  and  even  an  ultimate  determination  in  this  re- 
spect is  surroimded  with  difficulties,  since  the  guarantee  of  lamp  life 
is  invariably  accompanied  with  qualifications  as  to  the  proper  regu- 
lation of  the  electric  pressure,  &c.,  &c. 

The  difficulties  attendant  upon  the  separate  determinations  of  can- 
dle power,  horse  power  and  lamp  life,  become  greater  when,  as  is  ab- 
solutely essential  to  an  honest  test,  they  are  made  at  one  and  the 
same  time.  It  will  be  observed  that  unless  the  measurements  of 
power  expended  and  candle  power  obtained  are  made  simul- 
taneously, they  are  without  value;  and  further,  that  unless  the 
lamps  employed  in  the  test  are  such  as  are  designed  to  come  within 
the  guarantee  a&  to  life,  the  test  will  be  without  meaning,  for  the 


i 


H^-- 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


( 


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■4-^ 


i 


tv 


ri 


•    \ 


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\ 


reason  that  it  is  entirely  feasible,  and  we  fear  often  the  practice  to, 
make  an  economy  test  with  a  high  economy  lamp  of  short  life  espe- 
cially provided  for  the  purpose,  subsequently  substituting  therefor  a 
lower  economy  lamp  with  a  life  which  vnll  substantiate  the  guaran- 
tee given  for  it. 

In  short,  a  guarantee  of  economy  involves  such  complications  as 
practically  forbid  the  detection  of  dishonesty ;  hence  a  guarantee  of 
economy  is  simply  a  matter  of  what  the  leading  and  most  reputable 
company  will  do;  the  others  will  promptly  "offer  even  better" 
without  reference  to,  and  often  without  knowledge  of,  their  ability 
to  perform.  In  evidence  of  this,  note  the  fact  that  all  the  so-called 
competitors  of  the  Edison  Co.,  have  invariably  guaranteed  a  small  per- 
centage more  than  that  company  and  jast  as  the  development  of  the 
Edison  lamp  justified  an  advance  of  its  guarantee^  the  guai*antees 
of  others  have  advanced.  Does  any  one  suppose  that  this  coincidental 
and  universal  development  has  been  a  fact  1  No ;  it  means  simply 
as  we  now  point  out,  that  anything  may  be  guaranteed  since  detec- 
tion is  impracticable  (see  Appendix  H). 

Value  of  Various  Forms  of  Guarantees. 

Guarantees  by  corporate  bodies  possess  just  that  measure  of 
value  which  is  the  standing  of  the  corporation  itself.  If  it  is  a  bona 
fide  organization  with  character  and  capital,  then  its  guarantee 
becomes  of  a  par  with  that  of  individuals  of  like  repute.  Otherwise 
it  is  not  worth  the  paper  upon  which  it  is  written.  Assuming,  how- 
ever, that  the  guarantee  is  given  by  a  reputable  concern  we  will 
class  it  with,  and  consider  it,  in  the  next  following  category. 

In  considering  guarantees  given  by  individuals,  it  is  useful  to 
deal  only  with  those  of  individuals  who  have  rank  in  the  commercial 
world.  Our  inquiry,  therefore,  is  as  to  the  sufficiency  of  a  guarantee 
over  the  signature  of  a  man  whose  private  fortune  is  supposed  to  be 
large  and  whose  pecuniary  responsibihty  is  not  questioned;  the 
value  of  a  guarantee  of  such  an  one,  in  the  matter  of  the  quality  of 
the  goods  he  supplies,  is  only  dependent  upon  the  ability  of  the  ag- 


I 


t« 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


grieved  party  to  prove  short  measure.  This  ability  we  have  shown  is 
only  present  with  the  purchaser  in  a  meagre  way.  He  can  demon- 
strate gross  failure  only.  He  cannot  detect  the  absence  of  that 
"  superior  economy  "  a  guarantee  of  which  induced  him  to  buy  of  the 
guarantor  and  yet  instead  of  possessing  10  or  205^  higher  economy 
his  plant  may  and  very  likely  does  fall  that  per  cent  short  of  the 
economy  of  the  plant  rejected.  This,  however,  is  of  minor  import- 
ance as  compared  with  the  efficacy  of  the  guarantee  as 
against  damages  for  infringement  of  patents.  Such 
liability  is  not  dependent  upon  elaborate  and  complicated  measure- 
ments, but  is  the  direct  result  of  an  edict  of  a  Court  of  law.  It  is, 
therefore,  one  which  must  either  rest  upon  the  guarantor  or  the  party 
guaranteed. 

On  Whom  Will  Damages  Finally  FallT 

We  assert  that  they  will  fall  upon  the  purchaser  of  the  electric 
plant,  and  for  this  reason :  the  very  responsibility  of  the  party  making 
the  guarantee  brings  him  numerous  customers,  all  of  whom  receive 
like  guarantees.  These  in  the  interim  of  the  patent  litigation  aggregate 
vast  sums.  The  larger  and  more  prosperous  the  business  of  such  an 
one  the  heavier  the  aggregation  of  responsibihty,  and  the  less  the 
value  of  the  guarantee.  No  private  fortune,  however  great,  would  in 
the  event  of  award  of  damages  avail,  eiwn  if  it  was  not  employed  to 
evade  by  technicality  such  great  responsibility.  The  one  thing 
certain  in  such  event  would  be  that  the  guarantee  would  be  unavaila- 
ble and  the  user  not  only  be  compelled  to  pay  but  also  to  cease 
the  use  of  the  infringing  apparatus. 

Gum-antees  accompanied  by  collateral  security  are  therefore  the 
sole  guarantees  of  value  as  against  the  holders  of  a  patent  of  prior 
date  and  fundamental  in  its  character.  Such  guarantees  are  of 
course  practically  out  of  the  question  save  in  a  few  exceptional  cases 
where  the  object  of  the  guarantor  is  something  more  than  the  mere 
sale  of  goods ;  it  is  useless  therefore  to  consider  them  in  the  discus- 
sion of  a  piurely  commercial  question.  In  such  transactions  they 
would  not  be  given. 


17 


t 


.r 


^    / 


\r^ 


'm 


Finally  we  must  conclude  that  guarantees  in  patent  matters  do 
not  guarantee.  The  only  assurance  of  practical  value  is  to  deal 
with  original  owners  who  can  show  fundamental  patents 
of  prior  dates,  and  whose  business  is  conducted  with  special 
reference  to  a  future  rather  than  a  present  profit,  thereby 
^Rtabhshing  by  the  strongest  proof  not  only  their  original  and  f undar 
mental  ownership,  but  confidence  in  their  ultimate  control  of  the 
industry. 


CAUTION  3. 

INVEBTMENT. 

Central  Station  Electbic  Distbibution. 
Before  investing  his  money,  a  prudent  man  will  inquire  as  to  the 
character  and  scope  of  the  enterprise  in  which  he  contemplates  em- 
barking. 

In  this  connection  attention  is  caUed  to  the  fact  that  the  term 
«  Electric  Lighting  "  is  so  wholly  inadequate  as  a  description  of  the 

industry  of  manufacturing ,  distributing  and  selling 

electrical  energy,  as  to  be  misleading  in  the  extreme. 

Any  «  system  "  which  is  available  only  for  the  single  purpose  of 
Hghting  is  necessarily  so  heavily  handicapped,  as  against  a  system 
which  is  capable  of  universal  adaptation,  as  to  be  practically  out  of 
the  race. 

It  is  imperative,  therefore,  that  the  intending  investor  shaU  inquire 
as  to  the  adaptability  of  the  system  presented  to  his  notice,  to  aU  the 
requirements  of  the  community  which  he  desires  to  serve,  as  for  in- 
stance :  Light,  Power,  Heat,  Ventilation,  and  the  manifold  industiial 
«nd  other  uses  to  which  eledridty  is  now  being  applied  with  phe- 
nomenal rapidity. 

To  the  end  of  directing  the  inquirer  intelligently  we  will  endeavor 
to  indicate  of  what  and  how  such  a  universal  system  is  constituted. 

A  universal  system  must  possess  the  following  elementary  com- 
ponents : 


l8 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


«9 


1st.  A  continuous  current.ln  one  direction. 

2cl.  Uniform  pressure. 

3d.  Maximum  of  safety. 

4th.  Absolute  reliability. 

5th.  A  practically  unlimited  supply. 

6th.  Minimum- cost. 

7th.  Means  of  measuring. 

8th.  Complete  control  by  the  user  of  the  energy 
supplied  to  him. 

It  will  be  readily  admitted  that  any  system  possessing  these  ele- 
ments must  inherently  possess  that  mean  of  simplidiy  and  elaborar 
tion,  which  in  any  industry  can  alone  give  a  resultant  of  satisfaction  to 
the  producer  and  the  user. 

The  element  of  simplicity  must  pervade  not  only  the  individual  unit 
but  the  entire  system,  whilst  elaboration  must  go  to  the  extent  of  pro- 
viding means  for  securing  the  essential  conditions  of  a  perfect  service. 

In  electrical  distribution  these  essential  conditions  are  as  follows : 

1st.  Subdivision  of  generating  units  to  secure  reliability  and  econ- 
omy of  production. 

2d.  Meshing  of  distributing  conductors  in  a  common  net-work 
throughout  the  entire  area  supplied  to  secure  uniform  distribution. 

3d.  A  system  of  special  feeding  conductors  to  apportion  equally 
the  supply  of  energy  to  the  demand  throughout  the  area  of  the 
system  of  conductors. 

4th.  A  system  of  indicators  to  denote  variations  of  pressure  at  any 
point  in  the  area  of  consumption. 

5th.  A  system  of  regulation  to  compensate  for  any  variations  of 
pressure  (see  Appendix  D). 

It  vrill  be  observed  from  the  foregoing  that  our  investor  needs  to 
enquire  for  an  economic  and  reUable  system  of  electrical 
distribution,  and  not  simply  for  a  method  of  electric  lighting, 
or  a  method  of  electric  power,  or  a  method  of  electric  heating,  or  a 
method  of  electric  signalling,  or  a  method  for  any  other  specific  use. 
He  wants  a  system  which  shall  comprehend  all  these 
(see  Appendix  I). 


^ 


■'V|; 


%     ■      « 
41   tc 


/ 


M 


} 


It  is  only  from  the  use  of  such  a  system  that  he  can  derive  the 
full  measure  of  return  upon  his  investment,  and  thereby  secure  him- 
self a  practical  guarantee  against  competition. 

Having  now  cast  an  introspective  glance  at  the  field  which  he 
would  occupy,  and  learned  the  means  whereby  it  may  be  satisfactorily 
accomplished,  it  behooves  him  to  inquire  as  to  which  of  the  Electric 
Companies  bidding  for  his  favor,  the  most  nearly  approximates  the 
requirements  of  the  situation. 

To  enable  him  to  do  this  we  will  provide  an  analysis  of  the 
methods  adopted  and  recommended  by  the  various  Electric  CJom- 
panies,  and  indicate  to  him  wherein  they  severally  succeed  or  fail  to 
fiU  the  bill. 

DiKBCT  CUKBENT  MeTHODS  IN  WHIOH   THE  INVESTMENT  IN  CONDTTOTOBS  m 

Minimized  by  the  use  op  High  Pbessube. 

This  idea  has  been  advocated  principally  by  the  various  Arc  Light. 
Companies.    Hundreds  of  plans,  methods,  devices  and  compromises, 
under  the  generic  terms  of  "  series,"  "  multiple  series,"  "  distributing  **^ 
devices  and  various  compoundings  thereof,  have  been  tried  and  foimd 
lamentably  wanting. 

They  have  one  and  all  utterly  failed  for  the  simple  reason  that 
the  translating  unit,  i.e.,  the  lamp,  the  motor  or  other  device,  loses 
its  individtuility  in  consequence  of  deriving  its  current 
through  another  like  unit.  One  discontinued,  either  dis- 
continues the  other,  makes  it  necessary  to  substitute  an  unproduc- 
tive but  current  consuming  imit  for  that  discontinued,  or  throvra 
upon  the  accompanying  unit  additional  work,  thereby  affecting  dia« 
astrously  both  its  life  and  its  economy. 

The  employment  of  high  tension  currents  is  furthermore  objec- 
tionable on  account  of  their  unreliability  and  of  being  fraught  with 
danger  to  life  and  property  to  such  an  extent  as  to  be  discouraged  by 

Fire  Boards  and  others  having  these  things  in  keeping  (see  Appen- 
dix J). 

This  method  has  in  fact  nothing  to  reconmiend  it  but  the  one 

item  of  minimizing  investment  in  the  conducting  vrires.      It  is  a. 

cheap  make-shift  only  and  possesses  no  element  of  permanency. 


I 


30 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


It  is  furthermore  incapable  of  filling  even  a  small  fraction  of  the 
essentials  of  a  comprehensive  system  in  that  it  can  be  applied  to  but 
few  practical  uses.  It  may,  therefore,  be  dismissed  by  us  as  it  has 
been  by  that  part  of  the  public  who  have  tried  it  both  in  the  capacity 
of  investors  and  consumers. 

If  further  proof  is  needed  of  the  uncommercial  character  of  this 
compromise  between  judicious  investment  vnth  its  accompanying 
practical  and  financial  success,  and  parsimonious  economy,  with  its 
resultant  of  practical  and  financial  failure,  it  is  readily  found  in 
examples  still  extant,  as,  for  instance,  the  Hotel  Brunsvdck  in  this 
city,  vnth  its  several  hundred  lights  lit  up  en  masse,  hours  be- 
fore  they  are  all  required,  or  even  useful,  and  maintained 
an  equal  period  after  the  great  majority  are  no  longer 
needed.    Some  one  pays  for  this  useless  lighting. 

Or  if  this  is  not  sufficiently  convincing,  note  the  present  strife  and 
acrimonious  controversy  among  the  companies  heretofore  employing 
this  method  over  the  last  sensation  in  the  way  of  high  tension 
compromises,  viz.,  the  so-called 

"  GOULABD    &    GlBBS*   WeSTINGHOUSE   ALTERNATING  CuBRENT    CoNVERTEh 

System." 

Having  become  convinced  that  for  permanent  investment  the 
direct  current  high  tension  system  oflfers  no  inducement,  our  inquirer 
naturally  turns  to  its  successor  in  the  high  tension  line. 

The  alternating  current  high  tension  with  its  converting  (reducing) 
apparatus,  like  its  predecessor,  aims  at  minimizing  investment  in  the 
conducting  vnres  by  employment  of  the  high  tension  currents,  and,  as 
we  shall  presently  see,  with  the  same  or  even  more  unsatisfactory  results. 

An  alternating  current,  i.  e.,  a  current  changing  its  direction  seversd 
hundred  times  per  second,  is  employed  simply  because  it  affords  a  sim- 
ple and  ready  means  of  effecting  a  reduction  of  the  high  pressure 
employed  in  the  street  wires  to  the  low  pressure  demanded  by 
the  lamps  in  the  house  systems.  The  advocates  of  this  system  claim 
that  in  it  they  have  the  advantage  (?)  of  the  economy  of  high  tension 
combined  vdth  the  essential  requisite  of  low  tension,  and,  therefore, 


H 


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EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


31 


theoretically,  the  perfect  system.  Let  us  see  if  it  sustains  this  daim 
in  practice. 

The  employment  of  alternating  current  generating  machines  forbids 
the  harnessing  together  of  two  units  or  more  on  one  circuit ;  hence, 
the  reliability  and  current  capacity  of  that  circuit  is  only  that  of  a 
single  machine.     The  alternating  current  forbids  the  use  of  economic 

motors,  hence,  power  distribution  is  impracticable, 

and  the  system  is  thus  seriously  limited  in  its  scope.  For  a  like 
reason,  many  other  applications,  such  as  electrolysis,  electro-plating, 
&c.,  are  prohibited. 

Since  the  destructive  effect,  either  upon  life  or  property,  is  enor- 
mously enhanced  even  by  the  interruption  of  an  ordinary  current  trav- 
ersing it,  it  follows  that  the  complete  reversal  of  the  current  causes  it  to 
assume  the  form  of  a  real  danger.  Note  the  precautions  and  restrictions 
demanded  by  the  Fire  Board  in  their  rules  and  regulations  and  the 
justification  thereof  in  the  deaths  abeady  caused  by  this  system, 
although  it  has  but  just  come  into  the  field.  Furthermore,  its  effect 
upon  the  adjacent  vdres  of  other  electrical  enterprises,  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  telephone  and  telegraph,  is  disastrous.  Note  the  suit  of 
the  New  Orleans  Telephone  Company  to  restrain  its  use  in  proximity 
to  their  vdres  (see  Appendix  K). 

The  large  engine  unit  requisite,  the  low  economy  of  the  generator, 
as  compared  with  the  direct  current  dynamos,  the  extralossof  energy 
due  to  the  interpolation  of  the  converter  and  the  constant  demand  upon 
the  station  made  by  the  converters,  irrespective  of  the  work  they  are 
doing,  all  combine  to  render  the  system  the  most  uneconomical  yet 
offered  to  the  pubHc.  But,  to  the  end  that  the  absence  of  the  main 
essentials  of  a  perfect  system  may  be  made  more  apparent,  we  vnll 
before  proceeding  refresh  our  inquirer's  mind  as  to  the  essential 
components  of  a  perfect  system  by  an  examination  of  the  saUent 
points  of 

The  Edison  Direct  Current  Low  Tension  System. 

A  continuous  current  always  flowing^  in  the  same 

direction,  and  of  the  pressure  required  by  a  single  lamp  is  made 
to  suffice  for  an  illimitable  number  of  lamps,  motors  or  other  devicee. 


33 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


and  by  virtue  of  these  characteristics,  the  current  becomes  appli- 
cable to  every  use  to  which  electricity  is  now  or  may  he  applied. 

It  furthermore  does  not  injuriously  afifect  (whatever  its  pressure) 
adjacent  electrical  service,  such  as  telephone  or  telegraph  systems, 
which  services  are  seriously  impaired  by  currents  of  interrupted  or 

alternative  character. 

A  uniform  pressure  is  essential  to  a  uniform  lighting,  me- 
chanical or  heating  product ;  hence  its  importance  cannot  be  over-esti- 
mated, and  in  this  system  a  imiform  pressure  is  treated  as  a  prime 
factor. 

A  maximum  of  safety  is  obtained  in  part  by  the  employment 
of  comparatively  low  pressure,  and  in  part  by  innumerable  devices 
especially  and  originally  designed  therefor,  as  well  as  by  virtue  of 
the  high  standards  of  material,  workmanship  and  methods  employed 
in  their  construction  and  application. 

Absolute  reliability.  This  desideratimi  is  obtained  by  a 
complete  subdivision  of  all  the  several  units  employed,  whether  boil- 
ers, engines,  dynamos  or  conductors,  thereby  relying  in  no  respect 
upon  a  single  thread,  but  so  weaving  all  into  one  common  web  or 
network  as  to  render  the  failure  of  any  one  or  more  a  mere  matter  of 
a  momentarily  reduced  aggregate  product,  insufficient  in  itself  to 
effect  the  extinction  of  even  so  much  as  a  single  lamp  or  other  con- 
suming imit,  or,  in  fact,  to  make  itself  apparent  to  a  consumer  in  any 
way  whatever. 

A  practically  unlimited  supply.  This  important  req- 
uisite to  a  system  that  aims  to  meet  aU  demands  is  obtained  by  the 
meshing  of  conductors  in  a  common  network,  thus  permitting  the 
current  to  flow  toward  a  point  of  extraordinary  demand  from  any  and 
all  directions  and  consequently  availing  of  the  law  of  general  averages, 
viz.,  the  interchanging  of  idle  and  active  units.  This  interchangeability 
likewise  results  in  a  uniform  general  demand  on  the  station  notwith- 
standing that  scattered  consumers  may  be  drawing  upon  it  extraor- 
dinarily. The  supply  thus  becomes  for  all  practical  purposes  unlim- 
ited, inasmuch  as  ample  notice  and  time  is  thus  obtained  to  increase 
or  diminish  the  supply  at  the  station. 

Minimum  cost  of  production.    This  commercial  factor 


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EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


23 


iB  present  in  the  system  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  each  and  every 
producing  unit,  itself  of  the  highest  efficiency,  is  only  employed  in 
the  direct  ratio  of  the  consumption  of  its  product,  and  further,  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  no  translating,  converting  or  other  energy- 
consuming  apparatus  intervene  between  the  generating  and  the 
consuming  units  to  waste  a  material  percentage  of  the  energy. 

Means  of  measuring  the  quantity  consmned. 
Without  accurate  apparatus  for  determining  the  precise  measure  of 
energy  used  by  the  consumer,  it  is  evident  that  no  true  commercial 
relation  can  exist  between  producer  and  user.  Either  one  or  the  other 
will  obtain  an  imdue  advantage  however  honest  may  be  their  inten- 
tions. The  Edison  system  is  unique  in  this  respect.  It  is  the  only 
system  possessing  a  meter  which  has  been  demonstrated  by  years  of 
practical  and  conamercial  use  to  be  accurate  and  reliable. 

The  complete  control  by  the  user  of  the  energry 
supplied  to  him  is  of  paramount  importance,  since  thereby 
only,  can  he  call  it  into  use  when,  and  to  what  extent,  and  for  what 
purpose  he  may  wish,  and,  per  contra,  determine  that  use.  This 
exceedingly  important  feature  has  received  in  the  Edison  system 
thorough  treatment  and  practical  development  in  the  numerous  uses 
to  which  electricity  is  applied  (see  Appendix  L). 

Having  thus  reviewed  a  "  system  '*  (because  of  its  comprehensive 
character  worthy  of  the  title),  let  us  place  in  juxtaposition  a  few 
examples  illustrating  the  relative  economy  of  operating  and  first  cost 
of  the  Edison  Direct  and  the  Westinghouse  Indirect  or 
Converter  System. 

Both  systems  start  from  the  coal  pile  ;  both  employ  steam  boilers 
and  engines.  The  Edison  Direct  system  requires  no  apparatus  be 
tween  the  dynamo  and  lamp  ;  the  Westinghouse  Indirect  System  in- 
terpolates pressiure  reducer;  the  Edison  Direct  System  permits  of  the 
use  of  a  self -exciting  high  economy  generator ;  the  indirect  system 
demands  an  uneconomical  generator  with  supplemental  magnetic  ex- 
citing apparatus.  For  example  (employing  only  such  efficiency 
figures  as  are  a  matter  of  record,  which  are,  therefore,  not  dependent 
upon  mere  asseverations)  : 


1    '>. 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


Assumed  a  station  doing  commercial  lighting  from  4  P.M.  until 
7  A.M. 


Direct  System. 

Indirect  System. 

Ck)mmercial 
Efficiency. 

Losa 

Commercial 
Efficiency. 

Loss. 

Dvnamo 

90% 

10% 
*-7% 

70 

30 

0.5% 

4.8% 

Mean  loss  in  conductors 
for  16  hours  run. 

Mean  loss  in  transform- 
ers for  15  hours  mn 
(maximum     efficiency 
96%) 

Totals 

14.7% 

35.3% 

Difference  in  favor  of  Edison,  20.6%. 

This  estimate  does  not  take  into  account  the  losses  in  the  dis- 
tributing conductors— that  is,  the  service  conductors  from  the 
converters  to  the  houses— nor  does  it  include  the  house  wiring  itself, 
which  system  of  subordinate  conductors  requires  a  much  larger 
amount  of  copper  for  a  given  number  of  lamps  than  does  the  Edison 
on  account  of  the  lower  electrical  pressure  employed  by  their  lamp^ 
viz :  60  units  as  against  110  in  the  Edison  lamp. 

Further,  this  estimate  is  based  upon  a  nearly  perfect  converter, 
whereas  such  converters  are  so  expensive  that  to  obtain  the  essential 
reduction  of  cost,  cheaper  and  less  efficient  converters  will  be  and  are 
employed.  Such  cheaper  converters  possess  only  about  half 
the  economical  efficiency  of  the  more  expensive  ones,  involving  a  loss 
of  nearly  10%  instead  of  the  4.8%  we  have  allowed. 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  economy  of  the  indirect,  as  of  all  other 
high  tension  systems,  is  sacrificed  to  an  effort  to  minimize  investment 
Now,  let  us  see  if  that  effort  is  realized.  Boilers,  engines,  dynamos, 
etc.,  may  for  all  practical  purposes  be  considered  as  costing  per 
initial  horse  power,  the  same  in  each  system.     This  leaves  the  con- 


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ductors  alone  in  which  to  find  an  opportunity  for  reducing  the  invest- 
ment. 

FOR  EXAMPLE. 

Given  a  problem — say  the  actual  delivery  of  10,000  lamps — ^we 
obtain  the  following : 

INVESTMENT. 


direct  system. 


Copper  sufficient  to  supply  10,- 
000  lamps  with  low  pressure. 
(See  Appendix  M.) 


INDIRECT   SYSTEM. 


Copper  to  supply  10,000  lamps 
with  high  pressure,  plus  cost  of 
converters  to  reduce  to  low  press- 
ure,/?/?^ 20.6\  extra  H.  P.  in 
boilers,  engines,  dynamos  and 
converters  to  make  good  the  short- 
age of  2,000  lamps,  sacrificed  to 
minimized  investment  by  false 
economy. 

Our  investor  needs  but  little  mathematical  ability  to  satisfy 
himself  that  the  saving  is  chimerical ;  that  the  economy  does  not 
exist,  that  the  adaptability  is  absent ;  that,  in  short,  the  elements  of 
reliability,  safety  and  general  utility  are  in  the  indirect  as  lament- 
ably wanting,  if  not  more  so,  as  in  the  preceding  efforts  to  employ 
high  tension. 

Capital  is,  and  should  be,  conservative.  "When  seeking  investment, 
it  must  consider  the  elements  of  permanency,  fitness,  economy  and 
safety.  The  Edison  low  tension  system  alone  offers  these.  All 
others  are  simply  "catch  penny"  devices  for  ensnaring  the 
unwary,  put  forth  by  "Cheap  Johns"  "the  Apostles  of 
Parsimony'*  who  would  have  our  investor  believe  the  Edison 
system  one  demanding  undue  and  unnecessary  capital  because, 
forsooth,  that  system  is  offered  only  upon  terms  and  conditions 
legitimately  demanded  by  sound  investment. 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


CAUTIDN  4. 

DANGER. 

Human  life  is  endangered  by  electricity  only  when  the  electric 
pressure  employed  is  sufficient  to  overcome  the  resistance  oflfered  by 
the  body.  Testimony  on  this  point  has  been  taken  by  a  Committee 
of  the  British  House  of  Commons  and  250  to  300  units  was  deter- 
mined upon  as  the  safe  limit ;  such  eminent  electricians  as  Sir  Wm. 
Thompson,  Br.  C.  W.  Siemens,  Dr.  John  Hopkinson  and  others  fully 
concurring  in  this  conclusion. 

It  is  a  matter  of  fact  that  any  system  employing  high  pressure, 
f.  «.,  500  to  2,000  units  jeopardizes  life. 

Furthermore,  since  the  function  of  high  pressure  is  to  overcome 
resistance,  and  since  insulation  is  only  another  name  for  resistance, 
it  follows  that  high  pressure  demands  extraordinary  precautions  in 
the  matter  of  insulation,  and  even  when  so  guarded  occasionally 
escapes  with  disastrous  consequences ;  vide  all  Electric  Lighting 
rules  and  regulations  of  Fire  Boards  and  the  many  authentic  cases 
of  loss  of  life,  from  all  of  which  it  is  a  self-evident  proposition  that 
excess  in  this  direction  means  greatly  enhanced  risks  to  life  and 
property.     (See  Appendix  P.) 

Any  interruption  of  the  flow  of  the  current  adds  to  its  destructive 
property,  whilst  its  complete  reversal,  as  in  the  Alternating  (Westing- 
house)  system  increases  this  destructiveness  enormously. 

It  is  therefore  dear  that  high  pressure,  particularly  if  accompanied 
by  rapid  alternations,  is  not  destined  to  assume  any  permanent  posi- 
tion. It  would  be  legislated  out  of  existence  in  a  very  brief  period 
even  if  it  did  not  previously  die  a  natural  death  (see  Appendix  K). 

In  confirmation  of  these  deductions  we  have  the  fact  of  frequent 
and  altogether  unnecessary  loss  of  life  in  Europe  as  well  as  in  the 
United  States  due  to  the  employment  of  high  tension  by  the  advo- 
cates of  cheapness,  and  we  now  have  the  ratio  of  disasters  multiplied 


v(^ 


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EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


27 


and  increased  by  the  introduction  of  that  stiU  more  dangerous  prac- 
tice, the  alternating  or  reversal  of  an  already  dangerously  high  ten- 
sion current. 

As  against  the  death  record  of  the  high  tension  systems  which, 
if  it  stood  as  truly  representing  the  measure  of  safety  accompanying 
the  use  of  electricity,  would  unquestionably  condemn  it,  we  have  the 
glorious  record  of  the  Edison  low  tension  system,  from 
wMch  there  has  never  been  a  single  instance  of  loss 
of  life  from  the  current  employed.  Furthermore,  an 
important  fact  in  relation  to  the  employment  of  the  high  tension 
alternating  current  must  not  be  overlooked.  The  present  prac- 
tice is  to  place  the  pressure  reducer  upon  the  poles  or  other 
external  fixtures,  thus  allowing  only  the  low  tension  current  to 
pass  to  interiors.  But  its  advocates  are  already  strenuously  seek- 
ing to  overcome  the  opposition  of  the  Insurance  Underwriters, 
and  to  place  the  converters  vrithin  the  premises  of  the  consimiers, 
thus  bringing  the  dangerous  element  to  the  interiors ;  nor  must  the 
fact  be  concealed  that  the  slightest  defect  in  the  insulation  of  the 
converter  vrill  permit  of  the  transfer  of  the  high  tension  employed  in 
the  street  circuits  to  the  low  tension  circuits  employed  in  the  houses, 
even  though  the  converter  be  itself  placed  in  the  open  air. 

Examples  of  this  insidious  conveyance  of  the  known  dangerous  ex- 
ternal force  to  the  supposed  safe  internal  circuits  are  not  wanting, 
and  must  of  necessity  multiply  with  the  grovdh  of  the  systemu 

A  flash  of  atmospheric  electricity  in  a  thunder  storm  effects  a 
consolidation  of  the  high  and  low  pressure  circuits  vrithin  the  con- 
Tetter,  thus  instantly  and  without  warning  carrying  a  doubly  death 
dealing  element  to  the  lamp  containing  fixtures  which  may  at  the 
moment  or  even  subsequenUy  be  in  contact  vrith  the  person  of  the 
user. 

Instances  exist  of  even  more  remote  probabilities  of  the  transfer 
of  dangerous  high  tension  currents,  as,  for  instance,  their  traversing 
the  iron  beams,  metal  pipes  or  conducting  material  not  constituting 
a  portion  of  the  electric  system.     (See  Appendix  K. ) 


tl 


i 


sS 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


CAUTIDN  S. 

MORAL 

Should  the  mind  of  our  investor  not  be  influenced  by  the  fact  of 
original  ovmership  of  the  patents  which  protect  the  industry  of  in- 
candescent electric  lighting,  nor  by  the  fiUility  of  the  guarantees  which 
accompany  the  wares  of  the  infringers  thereof,  nor  by  our  presentar 
tion  of  the  relative  commercial  merits  of  the  Edison  and  other  systems, 
nor  yet  by  the  liability  to  damages  for  loss  of  life  and  property  to 
which  he  subjects  himself  and  the  members  of  his  community  by  the 
introduction  of  the  cheap  methods,  we  would  finally  inquire  of  him 
whether  he  considers  it  safe  to  enter  into  business  dealings  and 
relations  with  men  who  give  pubUc  expression  to  statements  which  they 
ought  to  know  to  be  imtrue.  That  the  so-called  competitors  of  the 
Edison  Company  have  made  such  statements  and  do  pursue  such 
methods  is  abundantly  evidenced  by  their  own  utterances. 

The  first  iofringer  of  Mr.  Edison's  invention,  upon  returning  from 
a  visit  to  Mr.  Edison  at  Menlo  Park,  in  1880,  is  said  to  have 
announced  his  intention  of  pirating  Mr.  Edison's  brains  and  prop- 
erty  in  these  words:    "I  have  been    down    to    see   Edison  and 

the fool  has  showed  me  his  hand  and  I  mean  to  profit  by 

it*'  The  result  of  his  visit  was  the  incandescent  work  of  the  U. 
S.  Electric  Lighting  Company.  The  next  infringer  spent  his  sober 
moments  endeavoring  to  convince  the  pubhc  that  Mr.  Edison  had 
not,  oonld  not,  and  would  not  maintain  his  lamp  ahght  an 
hour.  From  thence  the  Sawyer-Man,  now  The  Consolidated 
Electric  light  Company  (see  Appendix  Q).  The  next  in- 
fringer modestly  made  no  pretense  at  prior  invention  or  other 
rights,  but,  lacking  the  moral  courage  to  stand  on  his  own 
great  achievements  and  merits,  went  abroad  and  purchased  the 
infringing  product  of  a  foreign  pirate,  from  which  we  have  the  Brush- 
Swan  Electric  Light  Co.  The  impetus  cupidity  thus  obtained  has 
grovm  until  the  very  atmosphere  is  full  of  its  product.  The  next  aspi- 


-i^ 


«.< 


> 


yr^ 


'    ,.v» 


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i  .. 


^^  .». 


ii 


v# 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


rants  for  ovniership  and  profits  in  this  direction  were  Messrs.  Thomson 
and  Houston,  and  last,  but  not  least,  of  the  great  efforts  to  deprive  Edi- 
son of  the  credit  and  profit  of  his  grand  achievement  in  this  branch  of 
apphed  electrical  science  comes  George  Westinghouse,  Jr.,  who 
announces  his  plan  in  these  words  which  are  quoted  from  a 
pamphlet  issued  by  Westinghouse,  Church,  Kerr  &  Company,  rep- 
resenting the  Westinghouse  Electric  Company,  under  the  title  of 


(t 


OUR  BUSINESS  POLICY 


^'  is  to  sell  at  a  fair  profit,  and  install  electric  lighting  apparatus.    To  accom- 

**  plish  this  to  the  satisfaction  of  ourselves  and  our  customers,  we  require 

*•  only  price,  guarantee  and  result.    These  conditions  satisfied,  the  transac- 

"  tion  is  complete. 

**  We  regard  it  as  fortunate  to  ourselves  and  our  customers  that  we  have 

*'  deferred  entering  the  electrical  field  until  the  present  moment.    Raving  thus 

**  profited  by  the  public  experience  of  other s^  we  enter  ourselves  for  competition^ 

**  Tiampered  by  a  minimum  of  expense  for  experimental  outlay,  and  backed  by 

*'  manufacturing  facilities  and  experience  second  to    none.     In  short,  our 

•*  organization  is  such  that  we  are  free  in  a  large  measure  from  the  heavy 
"  load  with  which  electrical  enterprises  seem  so  far  to  be  encumbered.     The 

**  fruit  of  this  and  other  economical  measures  we  propose  to  share  with  the 

"  customer." 

In  further  illustration  of  the  character  of  the  so-called  competitors 
of  the  Edison  Co.,  attention  is  called  to  the  nature  of  their  pub- 
lished statements  upon  the  subject  of  the  patent  suits  as  hereinbe- 
fore set  forth  under  the  heading  of  patent  suits. 

Li  conclusion  and  by  way  of  emphasizing  the  confidence  of  the 
Edison  Company  in  its  position, 

EntsT.  Li  respect  of  its  rightful  ownership  of  fundamental  patents, 
and 

Second.  In  its  beUef  in  the  permanent  and  commercial  value  of 
the  industry  it  has  created,  we  beg  to  call  our  investors*  attention  to 
the  fact  that  the  business  poHcy  of  the  Edison  Company  is  to  dispose 
of  the  exclusive  rights  to  operate  its  system  vnthin  the  precinct  of  a 
given  territory  in  consideration  of  a  percentage  of  the  capital  stock 
of  the  corporations  organized  for  that  purpose.    The  Edison  Co.,  thus 


1* 

I 


I 


30 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


participates  only  (having  no  interest  whatever  in  the  manufacturing' 
«Btablishments)  in  the  net  earnings  of  the  industry  when  they  shall 
materialize.  Therefore,  if  the  industry  itself  is  non-productive  of 
dividends,  the  patents  have  been  acquired  loithout  consideration  to 
the  Edison  Company. 

Hate:  The  consideration  carries  with  it  the  right  to  purchase 
of  the  Edison  manufacturing  establishments  aU  electrical  apparatus 
at  the  actual  factory  cost,  plus  only  a  minimum  factory  profit,  fixed 
by  the  Edison  Company.  The  corporations  thus  organized  purchase 
a  plant  at  the  lowest  cost  at  which  the  Edison  Company  is  itself  able 
to  contract  for  its  manufacture,  and  in  not  one  dollar  of  the  price 
thus  paid  for  the  installation  of  a  plant  does  the  Edison  Company 
participate  directly  or  indirectly.  Its  sole  revenue  for  the  use  of  its 
patents  accrues  from  what  the  plant  installed  shall  earn  in  net  re- 
turns upon  the  money  invested  in  it. 

All  other  companies  dealing  in  incandescent  lighting,  knowing  full 
well  that  their  position  is  one  of  to-day  only  and  subject  to  complete  can- 
cellation to-morrow  by  action  of  the  courts  upon  the  Edison  patents,, 
have  adopted  the  poUcy  of  selling  their  plants  at  a  profit  upon  the 
goods  sold,  thereby  relinquishing  all  ownership  thereof,  "  making 
hay  while  the  sun  shines,*'  and  incurring  no  responsibility  for  or 
staking  no  profits  on  the  future  prosperity  of  their  customers. 

The  Edison  Company,  thei-efore,  pay  common  interest  with  the 
investor,  whilst  all  other  companies  simply  sell  their  goods  to  enter 
into  competition  with  the  Edison  Company,  and  leave  the  purchaser 
to  work  out  his  own  salvation  and  answer  for  himself  when  the  day 
of  judgment  shall  come. 

Attention  is  further  called  to  the  fact  that  the  Edison  Electric 
Light  Company  is  not  engaged  in  the  business  of  creating  a 
large  stock  interest  to  be  sold  to  the  confiding  public  at  a  profit  (see 
Appendix  R). 

The  capital  of  the  Edison  Company  is  $1,500,000,  of  which  $1,- 
206,291  represents  actual  cash  paid  in,  the  balance  standing  against 
patents  acquired  from  Mr.  Edison,  but  it  has,  nevertheless,  done  four- 
fifths  of  all  the  business  of  incandescent  electric  lighting. 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


31 


.^  w 


k:      -.      { 

fk 

111,  Vk" 


Whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  we  have  a  fair  sample  of  the  methods 
pursued  by  other  companies  in  the  capitalization  of  the  Westing- 
house  Electric  Company  at  $5,000,000,  of  which  $100,000  are  said 
to  represent  cash,  $1,000,000  are  declared  to  be  ''for  sale  for  cash/* 
and  the  remaining  $3,900,000  are  admitted  to  have  been  issued  to 
Mr.  Westinghouse  for  patents  and  contracts  assigned ! ! 

Persistent  and  extraordinary  efforts  to  give  such  capital  a 
market  value  vnll  perhaps  supply  a  profit  not  obtainable  in  the 
legitimate  channels  of  selling  and  installing  electrical  apparatus. 

EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO., 

By  Edwabd  H.  Johnson, 

President. 


S 

tf 


\ 


$2 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


15 


APPENDIX  A. 

EDISON'S  FUNDAMENTAIi  SYSTEM  PATENT. 

From  among  the  many  notices  of  the  technical  press  regarding 
the  recent  fundamental "  Multiple  Arc  "  patent,  granted  to  Mr.  Edison, 
we  select  the  following  : 

[Editorial  frmn  the  Electrical  World,  September  10,  1887.1 

Now  and  then  the  Patent  Office  grants   patents   of   very    broad 
sweep,  but  we  are  ready  to  give  priority  for  aU-embracing  comprehen- 
siveness to  that  which  it  has  just  issued  to  Mr.  Edison,  and  of  which 
we  present  aU  the  essential  details  this  week,  together  with   reproduc- 
tions of  the  drawings  that    accompanied    the   original    application. 
This  patent  has  a  great  many  features  of  interest     The    application 
dates  back  to  1880,  and  locates  Mr.  Edison  at  Menlo  Park,    still   en- 
gaged on  the  early  work  of  developing  his  system.     The  language  of 
the  patent  is  quaint  and  archaic,  and  is,  in  itself,  a  revelation   of  the 
progress  that  was  to  be  made.     The  method  of  exciting  the  succes- 
sive fields,  as  shown,  is  ahnost  amusing  in  its    primitive    ingenuity. 
But  aU  these  matters  sink  into  insignificance  beside  the  extraordinary 
scope  given  to  Mr.   Edison's  dahns    on  distribution.     This    patent, 
should  it  be  sustained  as  it  stands,  secures  to  Mr.  Edison  a  monopoly 
of  the  whole  art  and  system  of  multiple  arc  distribution,  and,  if  we 
read  aright,  supplements  that  by  the  control  of  incandescent  station 
operation.  That  is  not  enough,  for  on  a  modest  interpretation  «  \xw^ 
lating  devices  "  mw««  6V6n  iwc/w</e  transformers  when    arranged  in 
multiple  arc.    We  know  of  no  patent  to  compare,  even  at  a  distance, 
with  this  in  the  electrical  field  to-day,  except  that  on  the    Bell    tele- 
phone, and  that  which  Mr.  Brush  secured  on  the    storage    battery. 
The  f^t  that  the  patent  is  only  now  granted  to  Mr.  Edison  after  seven 
years  of  delay  forces  us  to  believe  that  the  Patent  Office   authorities 
must  have  gone  over  the  ground  very  carefully  and  slowly,   and  yet 
that  they  could  have  been  so  critical  may  seem,   in  view  of  their  final 
action  rather  doubtful.     Anyhdw,  there  is  the  patent  for  what  it  is 
worth,'  and  we  should  not  be  surprised  to  see  the  Edison    Compaoy 
make  the  most  of  it,  unless  it  thinks  that  it  has  sufficient  Htigation  on 
its  hands  now.     That  the  company  attaches  some  value  to  the  patent 
may  be  inferred  from  the  extension  it  is  said  to  have  obtained  a  Httle 
while  ago  on  a  number  of  European  patents  covering  substantiaUy  the 


^J,V 


'    ■      > 


A 


l> 


same  claims,  the  shortest  limitation  being  that  for  England,  which 
would  bnng  about  an  expiration  here  in  1895. 


l-Editorialfrom  the  Mectrical  Beview,  September  10,  1887.] 
An  Important  Electric  liight  Patent. 

A  good  deal  of  interest  is  manifested  as  to  patent  No.    369  280 
issued  August  30, 1887,  to  Mr.  Edison,  which  is  in  the  nature  of  a 
surpnse  to  the  electric  light  fraternity.    It  is  illustrated    and    de- 
scribed on  page  9.    If  the  patent  is  what  it  seems  to  be  on  its  face,  it 
would  appear  as  if  the  entire  field  of  multiple  distribution  from^- 
ttal  stations  were  now  in  the  hands  of  the  owners  of  this  patent     It 
has  been  a  long  time  getting  through  the  entanglementa  of  the  Pat- 
ent Office,  having  been  filed  February  5. 1880.     The  patent  is  about 
as  broad  as  a  patent  can  be,  being  regardless  of  specific  devices  and 
laying  a  powei-ful  grasp  on  the  fundamental  idea  of  multiple  distribu- 
tion from  a  number  of  generators  through  a  metallic  circuit 

There  will  doubUess  be  a  bitter  contest  in  the  courts  one  of  these 
days,  with  this  patent  as  the  bone  of  contention.  We  know  nothing 
of  the  possible  merits  of  such  a  contest,  fix.m  any  point  of  view,  and 
.t  18  not  our  business  to  go  into  such  a  matter,  but  it  does  look 
seriously  hke  wax.  It  certainly  is  food  for  reflection  by  those  in- 
terested m  general  distribution  of  electrical  energy  from  central  sta- 
tions, and  this  class  is  growing  larger  ahnost  daily. 


APPENDIX  B. 

CI.AIMS  OP  EDISON'S  FILAMENT  PATENT. 

Mr.  Edison's  fundamental  lamp  patent  No.  223,898  was  applied 
for  November  4, 1879,  and  issued  January  27,  1880.  The  claims  are 
as  follows : 

nf  h^^  ^^T^"  "T^  ^"^  ^"^^  "^^*  *'y  incandescence,  consisting 
rf  a  filamen  o  carbon  of  high  resistance,  made  as  described,  and  I 
cured  to  metaUic  vnres,  as  set  forth. 

2.  The  combmation  of  carbon  filaments,  with  a  receiver  made  en- 
tirely of  glass  and  conductors  passing  through  the  glass,  and  from 
which  receiver  the  air  is  exhausted,  for  the  purpose  L  for^ 

A  J'  "^  w  T^*'  °'  '*^P  '^^^  ^^  connected  to  electric  con- 
ductors, so  that  only  a  portion  of  the  surface  of  such  carbon  con- 
ductors shall  be  exposed  for  radiating  light,  as  set  forth 


I 


j 


34 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


35 


4.  The  method  herein  described  of  securing  the  platina  contact 
wiieB  to  the  carbon  filament  and  carbonizing  of  the  whole  in  a  closed 
chamber  substantially  as  set  forth. 


APPENDIX  C. 

BNGIilSH   ANI>    GERMAN    DECISIONS    SUPPORTING 
£I>ISON'S  FILAMENT  liAMP  PATENT. 

The  suit  of  the  English  Edison-Swan  United  Electric  Light 
Company  was  brought  against  Woodhouse  &  Rawson  for  infringe- 
ment of  the  English  patent  corresponding  with  United  States  Patent 
No.  223,898  (the  claims  of  which  we  give  in  Appendix  B). 

In  the  trial  before  the  English  Court,  the  defense  produced  all 
the  prior  patents  and  publications  which  can  be  used  in  this  country 
to  defeat  the  patent,  but  it  was  held  to  be  valid  in  spite  of  all  these. 
The  nearest  previous  approach  to  the  Edison  construction,  and  what 
was  principally  relied  upon  by  defendants,  was  a  lamp  made  in 
England  by  Swan  ;  which,  however,  cannot  be  legally  used  against 
the  patent  in  this  country,  because  no  description  of  it  was  published 
before  Mr.  Edison's  invention.  Even  this  was  held  by  the  Court  not 
to  anticipate  the  Edison  claim  for  a  carbon  "  filament" 

This  claim  has  now  been  upheld  in  the  courts  of  Germany  as  well 
as  England,  and  the  result  there  foreshadows  a  like  favorable  ter- 
mination here. 

In  this  connection  the  following  data  on  the  percentage  of  patent 
suits  resulting  in  the  confirmation  of  the  patent  will  prove  of  exceed- 
ing interest.  It  will  answer  most  decisively  the  oft-repeated  asser- 
tion of  infringing  concerns  that  the  chance  of  Edison's  patents  being 
sustained  is  very  slight. 


Patents  in  the  Courts. 

BT   GEO.    H.    STOCEBBIDOE. 

The  statement  that  nine  patents  out  of  every  ten  are  vacated 


V 


iZ^ > 


(1 


when  they  come  to  be  tested  before  the  courts,  has  been  repeated  so 
often  among  those  interested  as  to  have  become  an  adage ;  but  it 
happens,  fortunately,  that  in  the  twenty-fifth  volume  of  Myer's 
"  Federal  Decisions,"  published  last  year,  we  have  at  hand  a  table  of 
patents  adjudicated  from  1776  to  1885,  from  which  it  is  easy  to  com- 
pile hsts  of  sustained  and  vacated  patents  with  a  considerable  degree 
of  accuracy. 

Out  of  a  total  of  983  patents  passed  upon  between  1776  and  1886, 
269  were  declared  void,  and  714  were  sustained.  Of  the  latter  num- 
ber 480  were  sustained  broadly,  and  234  were  limited,  in  view  of  the 
state  of  the  art,  or  by  the  appUcation  of  a  strict  interpretation  to  the 
claams.  Assuming  the  above  figures  to  be  substantiaUy  correct,  the 
number  of  patents  held  valid  is  about  73  per  cent,  of  the  whole  num- 
ber on  which  suit  is  brought.  The  above  calculation  leaves  out  of 
account  those  patents  in  which  only  a  certain  few  of  the  claims  were 
sustained  or  vacated.  There  were  167  of  the  former  in  the  table 
and  perhaps  as  many  of  the  latter.  ' 

Nine  patents  sustained  to  one  vacated  would  not  be  far  out  of  the 
way. 

While  engaged  upon  the  table,  I  have  examined  it  with  respect 
to  the  question,  now  much  mooted,  whether  the  attitude  of  the  courts 
towards  letters  patent  is  growing  more  adverse.     I  find  that,  prior 
to  1860,  197  patents  were  sustained  out  of  a  total  of  257  contested,  a 
percentage  of  about  77.    Between  1860  and  1870  the  proportion 
remamed  substantially  the  same,  falling  off  a  trifle  more  than  one 
per  cent,   m  the  number  upheld.     Since  1869,  however,  there  has 
been  a  marked  increase  in  the  relative  number  of  patents  which  the 
courts  have  declared  void.     The  number  of  patents  vacated  between 
that  date  and  1885  is  116,  or  more  than  35  per  cent,  of  the  whole 
number  tabulated.     There  is  no  apparent  increase  during  the  last 
part  of  the  period  as  compared  with  the  first,  so  that  a  just  estimate 
of  the  present  condition  of  things  would  be  that  about  35  patents 
out  of  100  are  now  declared  invalid  by  tiie  courts.     It  should  be 
stated  that  the  proportion  of  patents  sustained  in  the  preceding 
analysis  is  reduced  by  the  inclusion  of  reissue  patents,  which,  since 
1882,  have  been  imiformly  vacated. 

There  need  be  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  more  than  six  patents 
out  of  every  t^n  are  good  property,  and  that  the  Federal  courts  will 
uphold  their  ovmers  in  the  defense  of  them. 


I 


/). 


1 


36 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


APPENDIX  D. 

CLAIMS     OP     EmSON'S     MUIiTIPLE     ABC     SYSTEM 

PATENT. 

Mr.  Edison's  fundamental  multiple  axe  patent,  No.  369,280,  was 
applied  for  February,  1880,  and  issued  August  30,  1887. 
Its  claims,  as  allowed  by  the  Patent  Office,  are  as  follows : 

1.  In  a  system  of  electrical  distribution,  the  combination,  with  a 
complete  or  round  metallic  circuit,  of  a  number  of  generators  con- 
nected in  multiple  arc  with  such  circuit,  and  consisting  each  of  an 
armature  revolving  in  a  magnetic  field,  and  a  number  of  translating 
devices,  also  connected  in  multiple  arc  with  said  circuit,  substantially 
as  set  forth. 

2.  In  a  system  of  electrical  distribution,  the  combination,  with  a 
complete  or  round  metallic  circuit,  of  a  number  of  generators  con- 
nected in  multiple  arc  with  such  circuit,  and  consisting  each  of  an 
armature  of  low  resistance  revolving  in  a  magnetic  field  of  great 
strength,  and  a  number  of  translating  devices,  also  connected  in  mul- 
tiple arc  with  said  circuit,  substantially  as  set  forth. 

3.  In  a  system  of  electrical  distribution,  the  combination,  with  a 
complete  or  roimd  metallic  circuit,  of  a  number  of  generators  con- 
nected in  multiple  arc  with  such  circuit,  and  consisting  each  of  an 
armature  revolving  in  a  magnetic  field  and  having  the  coils  of  its 
field-of-fbrce  magnet  and  its  generating  coils  separate,  {i.e.,  not  con- 
nected in  series),  and  a  number  of  translating  devices,  also  connected 
in  multiple  arc  with  said  circuit,  substantially  as  set  forth. 

4.  In  a  system  of  electrical  distribution,  the  combination,  vnth  a 
complete  or  round  metallic  circuit,  of  a  nimiber  of  generators  con- 
nected in  multiple  arc  with  such  circuit,  and  consisting  each  of  an 
armature  revolving  in  a  magnetic  field,  a  number  of  translating  de- 
vices, also  connected  in  multiple  arc  with  said  circuit,  and  a  regulator 
for  regulating  the  supply  of  current  to  such  circuit,  substantially  as 
set  forth. 

5.  In  a  system  of  electrical  distribution,  the  combination,  with  a 
complete  or  round  metallic  circuit,  of  means  for  generating  electricity 
connected  with  such  circuit,  and  consisting  of  one  or  more  dynamo  or 
magneto-electric  machines,  translating  devices  connected  in  multiple 
arc  with  said  circuit,  an  indicator  of  the  electric  pressure  upon  such 


V 


<•> 


/• 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


37 


circuit,  and  a  regulator  under  control  of  the  operator  for  regulating 
the  supply  of  current  to  such  circuit,  substantially  as  set  forth. 

6.  In  a  system  of  electrical  distribution,  the  combination,  with  a 
complete  or  round  metalHc  circuit,  of  a  number  of  generators  con- 
nected in  multiple  arc  with  such  circuit,  and  consisting  each  of  an 
armature  revolving  in  a  magnetic  field,  translating  devices  connected 
in  multiple  arc  with  said  circuit,  an  indicator  of  the  electric  pressure 
upon  such  circuit,  and  a  regulator  under  control  of  the  operator  for 
regulating  the  supply  of  current  to  such  circuit,  substantially  as 
set  forth. 

7.  In  a  system  for  the  generation  and  distribution  of  electridiy 
for  light  or  power,  through  cities  or  towns  or  districts  thereof,  a  cen- 
tral station  whereat  are  combined  a  number  of  generators  of  electric- 
ity connected  in  multiple  arc,  and  consisting  each  of  an  armature 
revolving  in  a  magnetic  field,  an  indicator  of  the  electric  pressure, 
and  a  regulator  of  the  current  generated,  conductors  forming  com- 
plete or  round  metallic  circuits  leading  from  such  station,  to  distrib- 
ute the  current  throughout  the  system,  and  translating  devices  con- 
nected in  multiple  arc  with  such  conductors,  substantially  as  set 
forth. 

8.  In  a  system  for  the  generation  and  distribution  of  electricity 
for  Ught  or  power  through  cities  or  towns  or  districts  thereof,  a  cen- 
tral station  whereat  are  combined  a  number  of  generators  of  electri- 
city connected  in  multiple  arc,  and  consisting  each  of  an  armature 
revolving  in  a  magnetic  field,  an  indicator  of  the  electric  pressure,  and 
a  regulator  of  the  current  generated,  conductors  forming  complete  or 
round  metallic  circuits  leading  from  such  station  to  distribute  the 
current  throughout  the  system,  translating  devices  connected  in  mul- 
tiple arc  vdth  such  conductors,  and  meters  at  the  houses  for  measur- 
ing the  current  supplied  to  such  translating  devices,  substantially  as 
set  forth. 


APPENDIX  E. 

HIGHEST  HONORS  TO  THE  EDISON  lilGHT.— PARIS, 

1881. 

The  prizes  have  been  awarded  by  the  Electrical  Exposition  at  Paris, 
and  Edison  has  received  two  gold  medals  and  a  diploma  of  honor,  the 
highest  honor  conferred  upon  any  exhibitor.  Edison  has  received  from 
Paris  the  following  cable :  "  Official  list,  published  to-day,  shows  you  in 


^ae 


I 


b 


I 


38 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


the  highest  class  of  inventors.  No  other  exhibitor  of  electric  light  in 
that  class.  Swan,  Fox,  and  Maxim  receive  medals  in  class  below. 
The  sub-juries  had  voted  you  five  gold  medals,  but  General  Congress 
promoted  you  to  the  diploma  of  honor.  This  is  complete  success, 
the  Congress  having  nothing  higher  to  give."  Professor  Barker,  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  present  at  the  Exposition  in  Paris, 
also  telegraphed  Edison  as  follows :  "  Accept  my  congratulations.  You 
have  distanced  all  competitors  and  obtained  a  diploma  of  honor,  the 
highest  award  given  in  the  Exposition.  No  person  in  any  class  in 
which  you  were  an  exhibitor  received  a  like  award."  Swan  sent 
Edison  a  cable  complimenting  him  as  follows  :  "You  have  received 
the  highest  award  the  jury  had  to  give.     I  congratulate  you." 

["  Independent,"  Nov.  5,  1881.] 

There  are  a  few  salient  points  in  the  chronicles  of  the  Paris  Ex- 
position of  1881  which  the  historian  of  the  electric  hghting  industry 
will  some  day  write  in  letters  which  "  he  who  runs  may  read.*' 

Among  these  shining  sentences  will  be  seen  the  frank  and  manly 
statement  of  the  Count  du  Moncel,  who,  when  convinced  of  the  re- 
ality of  Mr.  Edison's  long  strides  of  real  progress,  led  the  scientific 
world  in  paying  tribute  to  his  success.  We  quote  from  "  Journal 
des  Debats,'*  Paris,  of  September  8,  1881 : 

"  Our  readers  will  recollect  the  furor  raised  among  scientific  men 
"  of  France  by  the  news  of  the  discovery  of  his  system  of  illumination. 
**  It  first  caused  enthusiasm,  soon  modified  by  the  criticism  of  competent 
"  scientists,  one  particularly,  M.  du  Moncel,  the  eminent  electrician, 
"  manifesting  an  opposition  to  Edison's  system  in  an  article  that 
"  caused  a  great  sensation  among  the  most  celebrated  electricians, 
"  and  denied  its  practicability.  To  be  sure,  an  ocean  lay  between 
"  the  laboratory  of  the  hermit  of  Menlo  Park  and  the  study  of  M. 
"  du  Moncel ;  but  since  Edison's  system  has  crossed  the  sea,  M.  du 
"  Moncel  has  changed  his  opinion,  for,  in  a  letter  which  has  been 
"  shown  us,  he  welcomes  the  new  arrival,  after  enumerating  the  ex- 
"  periments  with  other  incandescent  lamps,  in  these  words  : 

"  *  All  these  experiments  achieved  but  moderate  success,  to  say 
"  *  no  more,  and  when,  in  1879,  the  new  Edison  incandescent  carbon 
**  *  lamp  was  announced,  many  of  the  scientists,  and  I,  particularly, 
"  *  doubted  the  accuracy  of  the  reports  which  came  from  America. 
"  *  This  horse-shoe  of  carbonized  paper  seemed  incapable  to  resist 
"  *  mechanical  shocks,  and  to  mamtain  incandescence  for    any  con- 


_-M 


Cl.^ 


^1    > 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


39 


<c 


<( 


"  *  siderable  length  of  time.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Edison  was  not  dis- 
"  *  couraged,  and  despite  the  active  opposition  made  to  his  lamp,  de- 
"  •  spite  tiie  polemic  acerbity  of  which  he  was  the  object,  he  did  not 

*  cease  to  perfect  it  in  a  practical  view,  and  he  succeeded  in  pro- 

*  ducing  the  lamps,  which  we  now  behold  exhibited  at  the  Exposi- 
"  *  tion  and  are  admired  by  all  for  their  perfect  steadiness.' 

"  Here  are  declarations  which  certainly  cannot  be  suspected,  and 
"  which  do  honor,  at  the  same  time,  to  their  author  and  to  him  who 
"  is  the  subject  of  them." 

APPENDIX  F. 

lilTIGATION  AMONG  THE  GIANTS. 

JEJdiaon  vs.    Westinghouse. 
{JSditoricd  from  Modern  Light  and  Jleat.'] 
April,  1887. 

We  have  lately  received  many  inquiries  regarding  the  suits  of  the 
Edison  Electric  Light  Company  against  the  Westinghouse  Company, 
now  pending,  evidencing  a  rapidly  growing  interest  in  the  matter  on 
the  part  of  the  electrical  fraternity.  Very  little  seems  to  have  been 
known  as  to  the  specific  infringements  charged  by  the  Edison  Com- 
pany. 

The  suits  are  based  mainly  on  infringements  of  the  "  conversion  " 
or  "transformation"  systems,  which  have  been  so  energetically 
pushed  to  the  front  by  various  electric  companies,  notably  the 
Westinghouse,  and  are  eleven  in  number,  the  first  having  been 
brought  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  on  account  of  the  imitations  claimed  to 
have  been  made  of  the  three-wire  system.  The  central  station  work 
of  this  type  was  limited  to  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  Schenectady,  N.  T., 
and  the  arguments  brought  forward  charged  a  settled  purpose  on 
the  part  of  the  Westinghouse  Company,  not  only  to  appropriate 
whatever  seemed  suited  to  their  uses,  but  to  acquire  all  possible  in- 
formation by  attracting  from  the  ranks  of  the  Edison  Company's 
force  such  men  as  were  possessed  of  a  knowledge  of  the  methods  by 
which  satisfactory  results  had  been  obtained. 


II 


jMm^^ 


J 


40 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


The  foUowing  letter  just  issued  by  Mr.  John  C.  Tomlinson, 
oounseUor  of  the  Edison  Electric  Light  Company,  is  sufficiently  ex- 
plidt  concerning  the  nature  of  the  patents  involved  in  this  and  other 
suits  as  to  afford  a  better  understanding  of  the  entire  situation. 
The  numerous  interests  Hable  to  be  affected  by  this  Utigation  are  of 
Buch  vital  importance  that  we  publish  in  full,  for  the  benefit  of  our 
readers,  Mr.  Tomlinson's  letter,  which  is  as  follows  : 


John  C.  Tomlinson, 

Counsellor  at  Lavs, 


40  Wall  Street, 
New  Yobk, 


1887. 


Gentlemen  :  I  am  advised  by  the  Edison  Electric  Light  Company 
that  you  contemplate  building  and  operating  a  Central  Station  In- 
candescent Electric  Light  Plant,  and  I  am  instructed  by  that  Com- 
pany to  inform  you  that  by  so  doing  you  will  infringe  among  others 
the  foUowing  Letters  Patent  of  the  United  States  owned  by  them, 
to  wit : 

1.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.  266,793,  dated  October  31,   1882,  on 

Electric  Distribution  System. 

2.  Thomas    A.  Edison,  No.   280,727,  dated  July  3,   1883,  on 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

3.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.  287,515,   dated  October  30,   1883,  on 

System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

4.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.   274,290,  dated  March  20,   1883,  on 

Systems  o!  Electrical  Distribution. 
6.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.  287,517,  dated  October  30,  1883,  on 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

6.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.  265,784,  dated  October  10,  1882,   on 

Regulators  for  Dynamo-Electric  Machines. 

7.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.  283,986,  dated  August  28,  1883,  on 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

8.  Thomas  A.  Edison,  No.  264,642,  dated  September  19,  1882,  on 

Electric  Distribution  and  Translation  System. 

9.  Schuyler  S.  Wheeler,  No.  335,099,  dated  Januaiy  26,  1886,  on 

System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 


.  i  lA 


♦•  y 


-( 


> 


\        > 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


4t 


10.  Frank  J.  Sprague,  No.  335,045,   dated  Januaiy  26,   1883,  on 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

11.  William   S.   Andrews,   No.   317,700,  dated  May  12,  1885,  on 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

Suits  have  been  instituted  by  the  Edison  Company  upon  these 
patents  against  Westinghouse,  Church,  Kerr  <&  Co.,  who  are  act- 
ing as  the  exploiters  of  what  is  called  the  Westinghouse  system 
(which  so-called  system  I  am  informed  is  the  one  you  contemplate 
using),  in  the  United  States  Circuit  a>urt  for  the  District  of  New 
Jersey.  Should  the  decisions  in  these  suits  be  favorable  to  the 
Edison  Company,  they  will  at  once  proceed  to  obtain  injunctions 
throughout  the  country  against  all  infringers  of  their  patents,  and 
will  at  the  same  time  bring  action  to  recover  damages  for  past  in- 
fringements. 

Li  addition  to  the  suits  referred  to  above,  the  Edison  Company 
had  previously  instituted,  and  are  now  pressing  suits  in  the  Circuit 
Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York, 
against  the  United  States  Electric  Light  Company  and  others,  upon 
the  foUovFing  patents:  Nos.  265,311,  251,554,  223,898,  227,229, 
265,777,  239,149,  239,153,  248,419,  264,698,  230,255,  266,447,  248,- 
424,  288,318,  263,140,  307,029. 

These  patents  are  also  infringed  by  Westinghouse,  Church,  Kerr 
&  Co.,  and  vnll  also  be  infringed  by  you  in  case  you  erect  and  operate 
the  station  referred  to. 

Upon  the  determination  of  these  suits,  proceedings  for  injimctions 
and  damages  vrill  likewise  be  instituted  against  all  infringers 
throughout  the  country,  including  Westinghouse. 

It  is  entirely  impractical  at  the  present  time  for  the  Edison 
Company  to  multiply  litigations  upon  the  same  patents  indifferent 
sections  of  the  coimtry,  and  they  have  adopted  the  course  usually 
followed  in  such  cases,  of  proceeding  against  the  responsible  pro- 
moters of  the  infringements  and  awaiting  the  determinations  of 
these  litigations  before  instituting  proceedings  against  the  users. 

The  object  of  this  communication  is  to  furnish  you  with  exact  in- 
formation of  the  patents  which  it  is  claimed  you  vrill  infringe,  and  of 
the  suits  now  pending  before  the  courts  against  the  promoters  of 
these  infringements,  and  of  what  you  may  expect  in  case  you  deter- 
mine to  disregard  the  patents  referred  to.  Having  furnished  you 
with  this  information  and  notice,  you  can  procure  copies  of  the 
patents  referred  to,  and  can  determine  for  yourselves  whether  the 


>        >> 


»  1 


( 


42 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


Station  you  contemplate  erecting  and  the  apparatus  and  methods  you 
desire  using  will  infringe  the  same,  and  you  can  also  easily  verify  the 
statement  I  have  made  in  regard  to  the  pendency  of  these  suits  by 
communication  with  the  clerks  of  the  courts  to  which  I  have  re- 
ferred. 

This  communication  is  dictated  by  a  still  further  object,  and  that 
is,  by  giving  you  the  information  referred  to,  to  deprive  you  from 
saying  hereafter  when  suits  shaU  be  brought  against  you,  that 
you  acted  innocentiy  and  without  knowledge  of  the  rights  of  others. 

(Signed,) 

John  C.  Tomunson, 
Counsellor  for  the  Edison  Electric  Light  Company. 

In  the  more  recent  exploiting  of  the  «  Converter"  system,  many  of 
the  same  principles  of  current  distribution  and  regulation  are  in- 
volved, and  the  Edison  Company  claim  that  ahnost  as  many  of  their 
principal  patents  are  infringed  in  the  latest  Westinghouse  installa- 
tions as  at  Trenton.  The  Philadelphia  suite,  which  are  brought 
against  the  Keystone  Light  and  Power  Company  of  that  city,  a  sub- 
company  of  the  Westinghouse,  are  upon  Nos.  4,  6,  7,  8,  9  and  10,  as 
in  above  letter  of  Mr.  Tomlinson,  and  patent  of  Thomas  A.  Edison, 
No.  283,984,  dated  August  28th,  1883,  on  Systems  of  Electrical  Dis- 
tiibution,  and  patent  of  Charles  Bradley,  No.  280,563,  dated  July 
3d,  1883,  on  Electrical  Measuring  Apparatus. 


APPENDIX  a. 

ROYALTIES   COLLECTED   IN  ENGLAND  AND  ELSE- 
WHERE. 

Mr.  Justice  Butt's  decision  of  May,  1886,  in  favor  of  the  English 
Edison  Company,  not  only  decided  Edison's  priority  of  invention,  but 
ordered  all  otiier  lamps  desti-oyed  or  given  into  the  possession  of  the 
Edison  Company,  and  an  accounting  of  the  profite  made  by  tiie  sale 
of  the  infringing  lamps  and  other  electrical  appUances  already  sold. 
This  virtually  threw  all  other  incandescent  lamps  out  of  the  United 
Kingdom  except  upon  payment  of  royalty  to  the  Edison  Company. 


V  I  4 


tK^ 


K^ 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


43 


The  secretary  of  this  organization  at  once  issued  circular  letters 
to  private  parties  using  the  Woodhouse  &  Kawson  and  other  lamps, 
of  which  the  following  copy  is  taken  from  the  "  Electrical  Beview " 
of  July  9,  1886: 

"  Edison  and  Swan  United  Elec.  Lt.  Co.,  Limited, 

"  13  Albert  Mansions,  Victoria  St., 

«  Westminster,  S.  W. 

June  29th,  1886. 
"  Deab  Sm — ^We  find  that  you  are  using  incandescent  electric 
lamps  which  are  made  in  infringement  of  this  company's  patents 
which  have  been  recentiy  upheld  by  the  decree  of  the  High  Court  of 
Justice  under  proceedings  instituted  by  the  company  against  other 
infringers. 

"  I  have  to  request  that  you  vrill  at  once  discontinue  the  use  of 
those  lamps,  and  upon  your  notifying  me  of  your  willingness  to  do 
this,  I  will  make  arrangements  for  sending  for  the  lamps  at  such 
early  date  as  may  be  convenient  to  you. 

"  If  I  hear  from  you  not  later  than  Monday  next,  5th  July,  with 
the  undertaking  above  referred  to,  the  company  wiU  abstain  from 
taking  proceedings  against  you,  either  for  an  injunction  or  for  dam- 
ages— a  course  which  the  directors  have  authorized  me  to  take,  in 
the  belief  that  you  were  not  aware  that  by  the  use  of  the  lamps  in 
question  you  were  infringing  the  companies*  rights. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully, 

"  (Signed)  S.  Flood  Page, 

"  Secretary." 

On  receipt  of  one  of  these,  accidentally  sent  to  one  of  their 
agents,  the  following  humorous  reply  was  returned :  "  We  think  this 
a  most  unwarrantable  and  vexatious  proceeding  on  your  part,  calcu- 
lated to  leave  a  very  prejudicial  effect  on  our  interests  and  yours.  We 
are  using  your  lamps  exclusively,  and  think  that  you  owe  us  an  apol- 
ogy for  this  procedure.**  (Signed,  Muir  Mavor,  C.  M.) 

The  "  Review,"  in  a  lengthy  editorial,  concedes  the  legality  of  this 
course,  but  doubts  its  policy.  One  extract  vriU  illustrate  the  great 
strength  of  the  position  thus  fortified  by  the  potency  of  patents 
when  sustained  by  the  courts : 


I' 


n 


^i 


1 


n 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


"We  think  the  Edison  Company  would  act  much  more  sensibly 
"  if  it  allowed  instaUations  actually  in  operation  previous  to  the  recent 
"  legal  suit  to  remain  in  statu  quo,  enforcing  its  rights  against  in- 
"  fringing  manufacturers  and  all  future  users  of  infringing  articles 
"  as  fully  as  it  thinks  fit.  Now  is  the  time  when  the  company  has  it 
"  in  its  pow«-  either  to  make  friends  or  enemies." 

In  the  Heview  of  July  30,  1886,  appears  a  report  of  the  directors 
of  the  Edison-Swan  United  E.  L.  Co.,  Limited.  It  is  there  stated 
that,  "  The  amount  due  from  Messrs.  Woodhouse  &  Rawson  under 
"  the  judgment  could  not  yet  be  estimated,  and  had  not  been  brought 
"  into  the  accounts.  The  order  was  now  in  form  and  they  would 
"  endeavor  to  take  the  account,  which,  he  understood,  meant  going 
"  through  the  books  of  Messrs.  Woodhouse  &  Rawson,  and  tracing 
«  what  they  had  done  with  the  infringing  lamps.  He  had  reason  to 
"believe  that  they  had  sold  an  enormous  number,  and,  therefore, 
"  there  was  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  come  from  those  gentle^ 


"  men." 


APPENDIX  tt 
BECKLESS  GUABANTEES  NEVER  MABE  GOOD. 

In  the  Louisville  Courier-Journal  of  October  29,  1883,  appeared 
the  following  statement  made  for  the  United  States  Electric  Light 
Company : 

•*  I  have  demonstrated  that  we  can  run  a  great  many  more  lamps 
"  with  the  same  power  than  the  Edison  people  can.  Of  this  the 
"  Palmer  House  people  are  entirely  convinced." 

(Signed)  C.  C.  Wabben. 

"  The  United  States  Company  wish  it  stated  with 
II  emphasis  that  it  guarantees  thirteen  lamps  of 
**  sixteen  candle  power  per  horse  power,  being 
**  double  the  number  guaranteed  by  any  competitor, 
"  and  its  machines  are  automatic." 

(Signed)  J.  E.  Lockwood. 

This  is  but  one  illustration  of  the  wild  guarantees  which  have 
been  put  forward  by  companies  having  in  some  cases  not  so  much 
as  a  lamp  which  would  Hve  100  hours.     The  character  of  these 


"ff  ^ 


-  ^••%r"w 


> 


.'» 


^ 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


45 


professions  was  clearly  exposed  by  the  Franklin  Institute  tests  at 
Philadelphia  in  1885.  In  a  trial  of  1000  hours  the  record  of  break- 
age was  as  follows: 

Edison,  1  out  of  21. 

Woodhouse  &  Eawson,  all  of  11. 

Stanley,  19  out  of  22. 

The  U.  S.  C5o.  (Weston),  17  out  of  24. 

Edison  thus  lost  5  %  ;  and  Weston  65  %.  The  value  of  an  Edison 
lamp  was  thus  shown  to  be  twelve  or  thirteen  times  that  of  any 
other.  These  tests  have  been  confirmed  by  those  made  at  Berlin, 
Vienna,  London,  Paris,  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  elsewhere. 


APPENDIX  L 

PROSPECTIVE   IMPORTANCE   OF   MOTORS    IN  CEN- 
TRAL STATION   WORK. 

It  is  sufficient,  in  illustrating  the  great  importance  of  the  busi- 
ness of  the  future  in  the  transmission  of  small  powers,  to  cite  the 
grovdng  use  of  motors  in  the  Boston  and  New  York  stations.  At 
present,  after  only  a  year  of  eflfort,  Boston  has  100  motors,  aggregat- 
ing a  capacity  of  300  horse  power,  in  daily  operation,  and  the  demand 
constantly  increasing.  The  New  York  company  has  attached  within 
a  few  months  over  150  horse  power.  The  franchises  of  Edison 
central  stations  include  not  only  this  profitable  application  of  the 
power  they  distribute ;  but  that  of  heating  by  electricity,  which  is 
now  clearly  made  apparent  is  the  next  immediate  practical  applica- 
tion of  electricity  on  a  vast  scale. 


APPENDIX  J. 


DANGERS  FROM  HIGH  POTENTIAIiS 

Might  be  illustrated  at  great  length.     The  few  which  are  of  more  re- 
cent date  are  given  vdthout  comment : 


II 


jl  \ 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


IDetroU  Ptess,  Oct.  4th,  1887] 

Deadly  Electric  Light  WIres.-The  Shocking  Sight  which 
Met  the  Gaze  of  Passers-By  on  a  Detroit  Street 

Detboit  JOch,  Oct.  4.-A  corpse  skly  feet  from  the  earth  han^- 
mg  m  a  "««*  of  wires,  the  arms  and  legs  moving  perceptibly,  wa«  the 
ghastly  sight  which  greeted  people  last  night  at  the  comer  of  Wood- 
ward avenue  and  the  Campus  Martius.    The  discoverer  of  this  shock- 
mg  sight  caUed  the  fire  department      The  dead  man  was  got  down 
^  an  extension  ladder.     He  had  been  dead  for  some  time  and  his 
body  had  recer^ed  the  electric  current  of  the  entire  Brush  system, 
which  had  made  his  hmbs  move  as  if  in  convulsions.     Thus  perished 
laneman  Hiram  Corhss.     Nobody  knows  how  long  he  had  hung  on 
tte  wires.    TTie  securing  of  the  body  was  attended  with  great  danger 
because  the  electnc  current  was  still  on.   Corliss,  in  repairing  or  leak- 
ing for  a  break,  had  made  a  fatal  find. 


[J^   Y.  /iun,  Oct.  2itA,  1887.] 

Yon  Can't  Hnsh  It  Up.-When  an  Electric  Ught  Kills  a 
Man  there's  no  Keeping  Mnm  About  It 

George  Schneizer  the  young  man  who  was  killed  on  Saturday  in  the 
H^lem  Hectnc  Light  Company's  biulding,  244  East  One  Hundred 
^d  Twenfy-second  street,  was  au  inspector  of  lamps  for  the  company 
He  received  his  death  stroke  from  a  defectively  insulated  lamp  which 
hung  in  tte  ceUar  of  the  building.     It  was  an  arc  Hght  of  the  familiar 
steeet  hght  pattern.    It  hung  in  front  of  a  big  dynamo  machine  in  the 
ceUar.    Two  men  were  working  about  the  dynamo,  and  Schneizer 
aune  down  to  look  at  them.    As  he  leaned  forward  his  hat  struck 
the  lamp  and  set  it  swinging.      Without  a  thought  of  danger  he 
caught  hold  of  the  round,  brass-finished  tube  which  holds  the  bottom 
carbon     With  a  spasmodic  shiver  he  feU  to  the  ground.      The  men 
wised  hun  up  and  one  of  them  ran  across  the  street  for  Dr  T  H 
Hay.    It  was  not  more  than  five  minutes  after  the  shock  thatDr  Hav 
arrived     He  found  Schneizer  just  gasping  his  last  breath  ' 

At  the  office  of  the  Harlem  Electric  Light  a>mpany  no  one  would 
gve  any  mf onnation  yesterday  about  the  accident  Lamps  of  this 
hnd  are  extoemely  dangerous.  The  current  used  is  one  of  great 
mtensity.  If  aielampis  in  order  the  wires  and  carbons  aSS 
nisulated  from  the  frame.    In  this  case  there  was  a  contact  some- 


Ick*!  I  -^ 


■►  -•§    r* 


^ 


f 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


47 


where,  and  when  Schneizer  caught  the  lamp  the  whole  strength  of 
the  current  passed  through  his  body  to  the  ground. 

Schneizer  was  unmarried  and  lived  with  an  uncle  at  One  Hundred 
and  Seventeenth  street  and  First  avenue. 


[i^.  y.  Sun,  Dec.  Sth,  1887.] 
Fatal  Shock  From  an  Electric  Wire. 

Lyons,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  5.--Elmer  E.  Wood,  Manager  of  the  Canandaigua 
Electric  Light  Company,  was  killed  by  an  electric  shock  in  that  village 
last  evening.  He  started  to  go  home,  but  noticing  that  an  electric  lamp 
on  the  street  did  not  bum  clearly,  he  attempted  to  fix  the  carbon  in 
it.  His  kid  glove  was  wet,  and  coming  in  contact  vdth  the  wire,  he 
received  a  terrible  shock.  He  was  heard  to  groan,  and  then  dropped 
unconscious  on  the  ground.  He  was  picked  up  a  moment  later  and 
breathed  his  last.  The  only  mark  on  him  was  a  small  and  black  hole 
in  his  thumb. 


\_Vhicago  Tribune,  Dec.  12, 1887.] 

Killed  by  a  Flash— A  Theatrical  Manag^er  Struck  Dead  by 

an  Electric  Current. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  Dec.  11.— [Special.]— James  O'Connell,  stage  man- 
ager of  the  Michael  Strogoff  company  of  Harris'  Museum,  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  receiving  an  electric  shock  from  the  speaking-tube 
on  the  stage  while  the  matinee  on  Saturday  afternoon  was  in  progress. 
It  seems  that  the  insulated  covering,  where  the  vnre  was  attached  to 
the  electric  light,  covered  the  speaking-tube  leading  across  the  stage 
to  the  prompter's  box,  had  worn  away  and  the  current  thus  diverted 
ran  along  the  metal  tube,  and  charged  with  the  same  intensity  that 
is  usually  applied  to  the  lamps.  But  it  could  be  touched  in  perfect 
safety  by  any  one  who  did  not  insert  himself  in  the  circuit  O'Con- 
nell unfortunately  did  the  latter,  the  other  side  of  the  connection 
being  made  by  laying  his  right  hand  on  the  zinc-covered  box  from 
which  the  gas-burners  are  controlled.  The  instant  he  seized  the 
brass  ring  of  the  bell  wire  the  current  was  changed  from  the  circuit 
and  passed  through  his  body  to  the  ground.  Standing  at  his  side 
were  the  stage  carpenter  and  the  costumer.  The  latter  declares  that 
when  O'Connell  took  his  hand  from  the  pipe  in  the  act  of  falling  a 
spark  fully  five  inches  in  length  followed  it  seeming  to  connect  with 


f  V 


[ 


I 


48 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


49 


II 


the  tips  of  his  fingers.     A  stage  hand  hearing  O'Connell's  cry  rang 
down  the  curtain.     Springing  over  O'Connell's  body  he  accidentally 
laid  his  hand  on  the  zinc-coYered  box  and  received  a  powerful  shock. 
In  the  palm  of  O'Connell's  right  hand  was  a  whitish  streak  from  the 
wrist  to  the  finger.     Closer  examination  showed  it  to  be  a  blister, 
which  seemed  to  pierce  abnost  through  the  hand.     On  the  left  hand 
the  thumb  and  index  finger  were  dreadfully  torn.     The  skin  was 
burned  to  snowy  whiteness,  as  was  the  flesh  beneath.     The  dead 
man  was  about  28  years  of  age  and  has  been  a  stage  manager  and 
carpenter  for  eight  years,  being  with  Shook  &  Collier  of   Union 
Square,  New  York,  for  six  years.     Two  years  ago  he  took  a  place 
with  the  present  organization,  the  Charles  Edwards  Michael  Strogoff 
company.     One  of  the  most  pathetic  features  of  the  sad  affair  was 
that  it  occurred  almost  in  sight  of  the  dead  man's  affianced  wife, 
Nellie  Collins,  a  member  of  the  company.     Her  grief  as  she  tried  to 
detect  some  sign  of  life  in  his  still  face  was  extremely  touching. 
O'Connell's  home  is  in  Chicago,  where  his  remains  will  be  shipped 
to-morrow.     From  the  conversation  of  those  in  the  theatre  he  was  re- 
garded as  a  general    favorite    among  his  fellow-employes.      The 
audience  was  entirely  unaware  of  the  fataHty.     The  accident  is 
thought  attributable  in  a  great  degree  to  the  humidity  of  the  air,  this 
affecting  the  insulation  of  the  wire,  causing  the  current  to  turn  to  the 
tin  tube.     Had  it  been  a  dry  day  it  is  not  believed  that  it  would  have 
occurred. 

[Brooklyn  Eagle,  Dec.  11,  1887.] 
Me  Fooled  with  Lightningr. 

About  8  o'clock  last  evening  Ambrose  Hilbert,  of  35  Moore  street, 
aged  14  years,  while  crossing  Broadway,  at  Debevoise  street,  caught 
hold  of  the  end  of  a  broken  telegraph  wire,  which  was  held  sus- 
pended by  an  electric  light  wire,  across  which  it  had  fallen.  Instantly 
he  gave  a  scream  and  fell  stunned  on  the  street.  A  number  of  citi- 
zens immediately  ran  to  his  assistance,  and  it  was  found  that  his  left 
hand  had  been  badly  burned  by  the  electric  current  and  that  in  fall- 
ing he  had  sustained  a  severe  scalp  woimd.  He  was  removed  to  his 
home. 

[iV:  Y,  aSw/i,  Dec.  20,  '87.] 
Killed  by  JBlectricity. 
Mabion,  Ind.,  Dec.  19. — A  team  of  horses  owned  by  D.  P.  Mc- 


) 


''■•m    ^ 


4 


A 


Kinney  was  kiUed  here  this  evening  under  peculiar  drcmnstances. 
One  of  the  natural  gas  arches  was  torn  down  by  a  passing  load  of 
straw,  and  the  electric  light  wire  which  was  attached  dropped  to  the 
street.  McKinney's  team  following  a  few  minutes  later,  stepped  on 
the  charged  wire  and  both  horses  fell  dead  from  the  shock. 


APPENDIX  E. 

SOME  DANGERS  OF  THE  ALTERNATING  SYSTEM. 

Dr.  Otto  Moses,  the  apostle  of  the  alternating  system,  made  the 
following  statement  in  August  last,  before  the  National  Electric  Light 
Association,  at  its  session  in  Boston : 

"A  friend  of  mine  was  testing  a  400  light  1050  volt  alternating 
dynamo  fully  loaded  only  a  few  days  ago,  and  going  towards  the 
machine,  his  foot  slipped  and  he  fell  quite  close  to  it ;  in  his  con- 
fusion he  quickly  reached  out  his  hands  and  unfortunately  placed 
them  directly  upon  the  poles  of  the  dynamo.  He  said  from  where  he 
fell  to  the  walls  behind  him  was  about  fifteen  feet,  and  it  seemed  to 
him  as  if  that  dynamo  was  suddenly  converted  into  an  electrical  gun, 
and  he  got  shot  across  the  room  until  the  velocity  of  his  movement 
was  iuterfered  virith  by  the  walL" 

At  the  same  meeting,  W.  R.  Kimball  of  Boston,  electrical  expert, 
said: 

"  The  question  of  the  insulation  of  high  potential  wires  is  one  whicS" 
appeals  to  every  part  of  the  electric  Hght  station,  whether  he  be  line- 
man or  manager.  In  the  one  case,  it  is  his  own  Ufe  and  limb  that  are 
involved;  and  in  the  other  case  it  is  property.  And  yet  there  is 
danger  in  carrying  high  potential  wires  into  cellars  and  basements." 

"The  question  of  the  insulation  between  the  primary  and  the  sec- 
ondary of  the  inductive  coil  is  governed  by  a  variety  of  causes. 
"Where  converters  are  placed  out  of  doors  moisture  will  get  in.  No 
matter  how  careful  the  wires  may  be  placed,  the  current  will  be  af- 
fected. This  bold  expedient  of  grounding  the  inside  wire  has  been 
brought  to  the  attention  of  this  Convention  and  the  public  by  some 
of  the  electrical  papers.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  opens  a  field  for  dis- 
cussion. The  question  naturally  arises  in  the  minds  of  insurance 
men  whether  running  electrical  wires  down  to  the  ground  is  not  an 
imheard  of  thing." 


4 


1'     -^ 


I 


ll 


50 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


One  of  the  prominent  exponents  of  the  Westinghouse  methods  also 
said  at  the  same  session : 

"In  Pittsburgh,  where  we  were  running  lights  in  a  rather  poor 
neighborhood,  we  found  it  cheaper  to  run  secondary  mains,  attaching 
our  hghts  in  the  houses  from  the  secondary  ciurent,  using  fifty  or  one 
hundred  volts  as  we  pleased.  In  other  parts  of  the  town,  where  they 
were  using  fifteen  or  twenty  lights  in  each  house,  we  foimd  it  better 
to  carry  the  converters  into  the  building  or  fasten  them  as  close  as 
possible  on  the  outside  wall,  so  as  to  enable  us  to  use  the  fifty-volt 
lamps  exclusively.  In  the  case  of  hotels,  we  would  run  a  high-press- 
ure wire  down  the  centre  of  the  corridor,  and  place  converters  at 
each  group." 

In  marked  contrast  with  this  confidence  inspired  by  ignorance 
and  recklessness,  we  find  that  a  year  ago  the  eminent  European  elec- 
trical firm  of  Siemens  &  Halske,  in  a  pamphlet  issued  by  them  on  al- 
ternating currents,  gave  an  alarm  of  no  uncertain  sound.  The  fact 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  they  were  really  the  inventors  and  the 
builders  of  the  best  alternating  machinery  which  has  ever  been  offered 
to  the  public,  that  the  product  of  their  mammoth  factory  has  been 
widely  used  for  a  long  series  of  years,  and  they  have  discontinued 
building  this  apparatus  as  being  dangerous.  They  conclude  in 
these  words: 

"  SO  FAR  LEGISLATION  HAS  NOT  CONCERNED  ITSELF 
WITH  THE  DANGERS  OF  THIS  SYSTEM,  BUT  SOONER  OR 
LATER  WILL  BE  COMPELLED  TO  DO  SO." 

Recent  advices  show  that  action  has  since  been  taken  to  prohibit 
the  use  of  high-tension  alternating  currents. 

It  is  also  noteworthy  that  in  the  United  States  the  insurance  com- 
panies have  been  independently  led,  because  of  actual  burning  out 
of  converters,  and  explosion  of  their  metal  cases,  to  absolutely  pro- 
hibit their  placement  in  buildings. 

This  restriction  has  recently  been  enforced,  even  in  cases  where 
underground  services  had  been  introduced  and  the  converters  placed 
on  the  walls  of  cellars.  No  more  forcible  commentary  can  be  imagined 
of  the  distrust  felt  by  the  underwriters  in  subjecting  their  risks  to 


4 


< 


'^^'9 


> 


Y 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


51 


the  hazards  of  high-pressure  currents,  than  the  rule  issued  November 

1, 1887,  by  the  Boston  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters : 

"  Converters  on  alternating  circuits  must  be  outeide  of  buildings, 
and  must  be  placed  high  enough  from  the  roof  to  prevent  possible 
injury  to  firemen," 

Witlun  a  few  days  of  this  issue  (November  4, 1887)  the  New  Eng- 
land Insurance  Exchange,  at  a  meeting  of  representatives  of  all  the 
electric  light  companies  doing  business  in  the  Eastern  States,  called 
to  consider  this  subject,  gave  notice  that  they  should  under  no  cir- 
cumstances allow  converters  to  be  placed  within  the  walls  of  build- 


mgs. 

In  Philadelphia,  the  only  city  where  these  silent  dynamos  are  thus 

tolerated  inside  the  walls  of  buildings  under  any  intelligent  super- 
vision. Inspector  McDevitt  of  the  Insurance  Patrol  confines  them 
strictly  to  cellars,  and  states  distinctly  that  they  wiU  be  obliged  to  go 
to  the  street  the  moment  any  one  of  them  explodes  or  sets  a  fire. 

In  Chicago,  City  Inspector  Haskins  absolutely  prohibits  the  use  of 
any  alternating  current  system  or  other  high-pressure  makeshift  for 
incandescent  Ughting. 


[^Extracts  from  the  Daily  States  {New  Orleans),  Sept  23, 1887.] 

Electric  Wire  Danglers.  How  Linemen  are  Injured  or 
Killed.  Tlie  Alternatingr  Current  as  Contrasted  with 
the  Low  Tension  Direct  Current, 

Several  accidents  have  happened  of  late  to  linemen  of  electric 
Hght  companies,  who  have  been  knocked  senseless  by  coming  in  con- 
tact with  wires  while  in  the  performance  of  their  duties.  Tuesday 
last  a  lineman  in  the  employ  of  the  Edison  Light  Company  was 
knocked  from  a  pole  at  the  comer  of  Canal  and  Carondelet  Streets 
by  receiving  a  shock  from  a  vdre  charged  with  the  alternating  high 
tension  current  from  the  Westinghouse  machines  used  by  the  Brush 
Electric  Light  Company. 

The  accident  was  the  second  serious  occurrence  in  this  city 
from  the  Westinghouse  altematmg  current.  Fortunately  it  has  not 
so  far  turned  out  to  be  fatal  as  did  the  accident  of  a  month  ago, 
which  occurred  as  follows :     The  unf ortimate  man  who  was  killed 


iM 


'f 


I 


52 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


was  at  work  on  a  pole  pulling  up  a  dead  arc  wire,  when  his  foot 
slipped  and  he  fell  across  the  wires  carrying  the  alternating  current, 
which  wires  had  been  bai*ed  of  insulation  in  order  to  tie  them  in 
firmly  to  the  insulators.  The  man  was  suspended  by  the  wires,  and 
the  current  passed  through  his  body  from  the  inside  of  one  thigh  to 
the  upper  ribs  on  the  other  side,  the  flesh  being  burned  to  the  bone 
in  both  places.  It  was  probably  five  minutes  before  they  could 
switch  off  the  current  from  him  and  by  that  time  he  was  stone  dead. 

Two  serious  accidents,  one  being  fatal  from  the  alternating  cur- 
rent in  the  course  of  five  weeks,  render  it  necessary  to  call  attention 
to  this  new  element  of  danger  in  the  streets,  and  to  consider  what 
precautions  should  be  taken.  The  alternating  system  is  new  in  this 
country,  and  very  little  experience  has  been  had  with  it  compared 
with  the  arc  system.  However,  this  experience  has  shown  that  this 
current  is  quite  as  dangerous,  if  not  more  so,  than  the  arc  current, 
which  has  killed  so  many  men.  There  are  two  reasons  for  this : 
first — the  full  pressure  of  current  (1,000  to  1,200  volts)  is  on  every 
pole-line  circuit ;  second — the  wires  running  parallel  with  one  an- 
other only  a  short  distance  apart,  it  is  very  easy  to  obtain  a  shock ; 
in  fact  it  is  very  difficult  for  a  man  working  on  a  pole  to  avoid  receiv- 
ing a  shock  sufficient  to  knock  him  from  a  pole,  and  should  he  be 
suspended  and  unable  to  free  himself,  as  occurred  in  the  fatal  acci- 
dent referred  to,  the  shock  quickly  proves  fatal 

The  effects  of  an  alternating  shock  merely .  from  leakage  are 
graphically  described  in  the  records  of  the  convention  before  referred 
to.  Mr.  Smith  of  the  Westinghouse  Company  detailed  the  prostration 
of  a  veteran  lineman  who  was  unable  to  release  himself,  became  black 
in  the  face,  was  treated  for  asphyxia,  and  was  so  severely  biuned 
that  his  hand  was  opened  by  the  attending  surgeon.  Those  who 
went  to  his  assistance  were  painfully  shocked  in  spite  of  careful  pro- 
tection to  their  own  persons. 

Not  alone  is  this  current  dangerous  to  station  employes.  The 
«  New  York  World  "  of  December  12,  1887,  has  the  following  account 
of  the  death  of  a  horse : 

Killed  by  Electricity.    A  Horse  Toucbes  a  Telepbone  Wire 
on  Staten  Island  and  Drops  Dead. 

"  A  singular  accident  resulting  in  the  death  of  a  horse  belonging  to 
C.  F.  Gaellis,  a  cracker  dealer,  at  Mariners*  Harbor,  S.  L,  occured 


I 


< 


V 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


53 


this  morning  at  4:30  o'clock.  Mr.  Gaellis  sends  his  wagon  with  a 
double  team  to  this  city  early  every  Monday  morning. 

While  his  driver.  Christian  Klengel,  was  passing  in  front  or  near 
the  residence  of  Dr.  W.  C.  Walsh  at  Port  Eichmond,  S.  I.,  one  of  the 
horses  became  entangled  in  a  telephone  wire  which  was  dangling  in 
the  street,  being  broken,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  horse,  valued  at 
$250,  was  dead. 

Policeman  Finan,  who  was  near  by,  attempted  to  remove  the 
horse  from  the  middle  of  the  street  to  the  gutter,  when  he  received  a 
severe  electric  shock  which  knocked  him  senseless.  He  soon  recov- 
ered. 

Some  time  during  the  night  one  of  the  telephone  wires  broke, 
and,  falling  across  the  electric  light  wire,  became  charged  with  elec- 
tricity, and  when  the  horse  was  entangled,  the  circuit  to  the  ground 
was  complete.    Hence  the  accident' 


ft 


New  Obleans,  La.,  November  29th,  1887. 
E.  H.  Johnson,  Esq., 

Prest.  Edison  Electric  Light  Company,  New  York. 

Deab  Sm:  As  New  Orleans  is  with  one  exception  the  largest  and 
most  important  station  now  supplying  incandescent  lights  on  the 
Westinghouse  Alternating  system,  you  will  doubtless  be  interested  to 
hear  some  account  of  its  operation  during  the  eight  months  of  its 
existence. 

Their  record  during  this  period  has  been  a  continual  series  of 
mishaps.  They  have  suffered  damages  and  interruptions  from  almost 
every  possible  cause,  viz.:  engines,  dynamos,  line  wires  and  converters. 

The  alternating  current  has  killed  two  men  and  has  injured 
several  others.  One  of  these  accidents  has  resulted  in  a  lawsuit  for 
$25,000  damages,  and  it  is  rumored  that  another  suit  is  contemplated 
on  behalf  of  the  relatives  of  one  of  the  men  killed.  This  was  a  tele- 
phone lineman  and  was  at  the  time  stringing  wires  in  the  ordinary 
way.  The  telephone  company  have  applied  to  the  courts  for  an  in- 
junction against  the  Brush  company  using  a  Westinghouse  alternat- 
ing system  to  prevent  them  from  running  their  wires  in  proximity 
to  telephone  wires  or  poles. 

Some  time  ago  one  of  their  high  tension  alternating  circuits 
dropped  on  to  a  tin  roof  and  set  the  woodwork  imdemeath  on  fire. 
The  fire  department  were  called  out  and  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
extinguishing  the  flames.     The  short  circuit  burnt  out  a  1,300  light 


''i 


II 


i 


54 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


annature,  whereupon  the  dynamo  man   threw  another  machine  into 
circuit,  and  a  second  armature  burned  out. 

About  ten  days  ago  they  knocked  out  a  cylinder  head  and  broke 
the  cross-head  of  one  of  their  large  Corliss  engines,  carrying  a  1,300 
light  and  a  650  light  dynamo.  Having  no  reserve,  all  the  lights  sup- 
pUed  by  these  dynamos  were  out  a  week,  their  customers  having  to 
resort  to  gas,  candles  or  kerosene.  After  four  days  they  got  their 
engine  repaired  and  started  again.  Shortly  after  starting  one  of  the 
1,300  light  armatures  burned  out  from  no  apparent  cause.  Putting 
in  the  only  spare  armature  they  had  they  ran  all  right  for  about 
twelve  hours,  when  the  second  armature  burned  out  in  the  same  way. 

This  caused  another  delay  of  three  days,  and  made  a  total  to  date 
of  four  armatures  burnt  out. 

On  a  recent  Saturday  evening  a  pulley  came  off  one  of  the  1,300 
light  machines,  putting  a  theatre,  among  the  rest,  in  darkness  for 
half  an  hour. 

Until  their  dynamos  were  fairly  loaded  they  ran  vnth  a  fair 
amoimt  of  satisfaction  except  during  thunderstorms,  during  which 
the  lightning  played  havoc  vnth  the  converters,  burning  out  from  three 
to  seven  every  time. 

In  addition  to  the  above  they  have  had  a  large  number  of  mishaps 
of  which  I  have  not  heard  the  details. 

Naturally  their  customers  are  all  very  much  dissatisfied,  and  it  is 
a  very  common  thing  to  see  the  Westinghouse  lights  helped  out  by 
gas,  or  arc  lights  burning  at  the  same  time. 

They  light  up  the  prominent  clubs,  and  unfortunately  for  them 
they  are  all  supplied  by  the  ciicuit  which  was  disabled  for  a  week 
through  the  breaking  down  of  the  engine  and  the  burning  out  of  the 
two  armatures. 

The  operation  of  the  Westinghouse  system  has  been  disastrous 
financially  to  the  local  Brush  company.  Previous  to  commencing 
with  it  they  were  in  a  sound  financial  condition.  Now  they  are 
nearly  bankrupt  and  are  at  their  wits' end  to  know  how  to  raise 
money  to  go  on.  Their  hundred  dollar  stock  is  unsalable  at  twenty- 
five  ;  in  fact  a  block  was  recently  sold  at  twenty-two.  A  gentleman 
whom  I  know  has  a  large  amount  of  stock  which  he  could  have  sold 
a  year  ago  at  $85,  and  he  would  now  be  glad  to  get  $30.  The  daily 
paper  for  Jan.  13,  1887,  quotes  Brush  stock  at  $73  "  asked,"  to- 
day's paper  gives  $35  "  asked  "  and  $20  offered.      On  the  other  hand 


\ 


.> 


♦,^    ^ 


< 


1 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


$$ 


the  recent  breakdovm  of  the  Westinghouse  system  has  caused  gas 
stock  to  go  up  five  points  within  a  week. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Wm.    T.    M.    MOITBAM. 


PROF.  CARHAKT'S   WARNING. 

In  a  communication  to  "  The  American  Engineer,*'  Prof.  HL 
S.  Carhart  thus  sums  up  the  salient  points  of  an  interesting  discus- 
sion : 

'^  It  is  not  probable  that  an  estimate  of  the  danger  point  of  a 
current  can  be  made  by  a  calculation  of  the  energy  involved.  It  is 
absolutely  certain  that  quite  a  powerful  current  can  be  taken  through 
the  body,  provided  it  be  perfectly  steady,  while  a  fluctuating  current 
of  much  smaller  intensity  may  prove  fataL  The  one  imphes  the 
steady  passage  of  energy  through  the  person,  while  the  other  applies 
a  series  of  shocks.  A  single  blow  may  prove  fatal,  but  a  succession 
of  them  vnll  be  more  certain  to  do  so.  A  single  flash  of  lightning  may 
kill  or  in  some  cases  char  the  body  to  a  cinder,  and  a  succession  of  a 
thousand  or  more  shocks  a  second  from  a  mechanical  generator  of 
electricity  may  prove  no  less  dangerous.  In  short,  the  danger  lies 
more  in  the  discontinuity  of  the  current  than  in  its  absolute  intensify. 
With  a  given  discontinuity,  the  higher  the  E.  M.  F.  the  greater  the 
danger.  Hence,  also,  alternating  cinrent  generators  are  far  more 
dangerous  than  those  of  the  Gramme  type  yielding  continuous  car- 
rents.  On  this  accoimt  the  system  distribution  by  a  main  alternat- 
ing current  of  high  pressure,  producing  secondary  currents  by 
means  of  induction  coils,  is  not  to  be  commended,  however  efficient 
it  may  be." 

APPENDIX  L 

The  Edison  Elbctrio  Illuminatinq  Co.  op  Nkw  Tobk, 

16  and  18  Broad  Street 

Spencer  Trask,  President. 

Jonn  L  Beggs,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager. 

J.  B.  Skehan,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

New  York,  December  27th,  1887. 
E.  H.  Johnson,  Esq., 

President  Edison  Electric  Light  Co.: 

Deab  Sib — ^Replying  to  your  inquiry  as  to  the  accuracy  and  d&- 


1? 


56 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTIRC  LIGHT  CO. 


ti 


57 


^  of  rehance  placed  upon  the  Edison  meter  in  the  commercial 
transactions  between  this  company  and  its  customers,  it  affords  me 
pleasure  to  state  that  our  experience  has  established  confidence  in 
the  meter,  not  only  on  our  part,  but  also  on  the  part  of  our  cus- 
tomers, m  consideration  of  which  I  offer  you  the  following  facts : 

The  Pearl  Street  Station  was  started  September  4th,  1882  and 
with  the  exception  of  but  two  hours  during  iJie  first  year,  has'  con- 
tinued uninterruptly  to  date. 

The  stetion  is  at  present  supplying  current  for  15,000  incandes- 
cent lamps  and  150  H.  P.  of  Sprague  Electric  Motoi-s  to  647  cus- 
tomers through  a  like  number  of  meters. 

Our  bills  are  paid  cheerfully  with  but  an  occasional  exception,  in 
which  mstances  a  verification  of  the  meter  is  had,  and  the  customer 
thereby  thoroughly  convinced  of  its  accuracy. 

Eepeated  tests  of  the  meter,  comparative  and  otherwise,  made  by 
ourselves  show  a  maximum  variation  of  not  greater  than  2  per  cent 
and  a  variation  from  accuracy  of  not  more  than  1  per  cent.  These 
tests,  combmed  with  the  practical  results  of  five  years  actual  use  of 
several  hundred  meters,  have  demonstrated  conclusively  to  the  com- 
pany  and  its  customers  the  efficacy  of  the  apparatiis  for  the  pur- 
pose mtended. 

Yours  truly, 
The  Edison  Electric  Illuminating  Co.  of  New  Yobk, 
By  John  L  Beogs, 

Vice-President  and  General  Manager. 


APPENDIX  M. 

"THE  DEADLY  PARAIXEJL  "-ACTUAL  FIGURES 
SHOW  WESTINGHOUSE  INDIRECT  CONDUCT- 
ORS COST  MORE  THAN  EDISON  DIRECT,  IN 
EACH  OF  TWO  RECENT  ESTIMATES. 

Denver,  Col.,  recently  secured  from  the  Edison  Company  an 
estimate  to  be  used  as  the  basis  of  a  contract.  The  figures  below 
show  a  summary  of  cost  for  which  the  Edison  contractors  were  pre- 
pared to  equip  and  guarantee  the  operation  of  the  system. 

The  figures  representing  the  Westinghouse  plant  now  under  con- 
struction show  money  stated  to  have  been  expended,  leaving  this  por- 
tion of  the  installation  still  incomplete,with  no  assurance  of  being  able  to 


V"  -i 


*      ^ 


<    > 


<      > 


<     > 


*  '■ 


operate  successfully,  on  account  of  retardation  in  underground  con- 
ductors and  other  imdetermined  factors. 

Denver,  Col, 


Edison  Direct  System  Estimate^ 
10,000  Lights. 

Mains,  Feeders  (all  under- 
ground) and  Laying 
Underground — 

Total $88,456 

JVhich  makes  the  Contract 
Price  of  Underground 
Conductors  (complete) 
per  lamp $8.85 

In  contrast  with  this  record  of  necessary  expenditure,  with  no 
demonstration  of  satisfactory  service  as  a  fully  loaded  system  up  to 
the  present,  notice  the  following  estimate  of  the  Westinghouse  Com- 
pany for  Minneapolis.  Even  here  the  "deadly  parallel "  shows  no 
saving  in  cost  of  copper  in  the  indirect  alternating  method,  after 
making  all  possible  allowance  for  the  difference  in  the  estimated 
capacity : 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 


WestinghoiLse  Indirect  System, 
6,500  LighU, 

Mains  (overhead)  and  feeders 
(underground)  with  pole  lines,  con- 
duits and  other  necessary  construc- 
tion with  converters,  but  without 
secondary  mains  or  services  (all  of 
which  are  of  necessity  a  portion  of 
the  conductor  system),  over  $100,- 
000,  or  $15.40  per  lamp. 


Estimate  made  May,  1887,  as 
planned  by  the  Edison  Co.  for 
21,700  Lights  : 

Copper  in  Feeders, 

254,000  lbs.  @  .17.  .$43,180 
Copper  in  Mains, 

61,680  lbs.  @. 17.... $8,785 

Feeders $2.00  per  light. 

Mains 40 


Westinghouse   Indirect    System, 
for  8,^00  Lights  : 

Copper    in    Feeders    and 
Primary  Mains, 

71,200  lbs.  @. 17.... $12,100 
Converters    @    $1.50    per 

Hght $12,600 


Total  Copper.. $2.40 


(( 


« 


iC 


cc 


$24,700 
This  does  not  include  the  sec- 
ondary mains,  which  are  essential 
to  good  distribution,  and  which  on 
account  of  the  use  of  a  50  volt 
lamp  are  necessarily  very  heavy. 
Feeders  and  Converters  and  pri- 
mary mains,  $2.94  per  light 


4  _  ^, 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


In  the  above  estimate  we  have  assumed  that  the  prices  of  con- 
verters may  have  fallen  fifty  per  cent,  since  the  issue  of  the  pamphlet 
of  some  months  ago  (elsewhere  desciibed),  in  which  (page  70,  Sched- 
ule K)  fifty  light  converters  are  quoted  at  $3  per  lamp,  or  even  since 
Mr.  Wm.  Stanley  Jr.,  now  before  the  public,  as  the  Electrician 
of  the  Westinghouse  Company,  has  had  an  opportunity  of  correcting 
his  note  book  in  the  laboratory.  This  gentleman  in  an  address 
before  the  Society  of  Arts  in  Boston,  December  22, 1887,  conceded 
that  converters  should  be  calculated  at  $3  per  lamp.  This  raises  the 
above  Minneapolis  estimate  to  $4  38  per  lamp. 

These  figures,  taken  from  actual  working  specifications  and  plans 
issued  from  the  office  of  the  Westinghouse  Company,  tell  a  story 
radically  at  variance  with  the  professions  of  their  purchasing  agent, 
and  one  of  their  original  stockholders  and  directors  (See  Appendix  R), 
Mr.  Frank  L.  Pope,  through  the  columns  of  the  journal  conducted 
by  him,  which  has  for  several  months  past  been  used  as  the  organ  of 
the  alternating  school.  (See  Electrical  Engineer,  Sept.,  1887,  page 
342.)  

APPENDIX  P. 

iC£:COGNIZ£I>  DANGERS  OF  HIGH  EliECTBIGAIj 

PRESSURES. 

The  experience  of  the  most  successful  managers  of  arc  plants  in 
this  country  has  been  to  discourage  the  use  of  dynamos  giving  more 
than  35  to  40  lamps  in  series,  on  account  of  the  high  pressure  re- 
quired by  very  long  circuits.  An  instance  in  point  is  the  recent 
order  of  the  manager  of  the  Brush  Company  of  New  York,  for  25 
dynamos  of  30  lamps  capacity  ("Electrical  World,"  Dec.  24,  1887). 
The  position  taken  by  Mr.  Chas.  Lever  in  the  article  in  the  English 
"  Electrical  Review"  of  Oct.  31,  1885,  to  which  we  have  elsewhere 
referred,  is  startling  in  the  correctness  of  its  forecast : 

"  But,  it  is  this  eternal  desire  to  get  as  many  lamps  in  series  from 
one  machine  as  possible,  which  no  doubt  prevents  such  a  course  from 
being  adopted  in  regard  to  increment  of  current.  Whatever  may  be 
the  advantages  of  this  high  tension  supply  system,  they  are  com- 
pletely annulled  by  the  element  of  danger  introduced  thereby.    De- 


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A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


spite  all  that  may  be  argued  to  the  contrary,  men  wiU  continue  to  be 
killed  in  the  future  as  in  the  past  by  such  systems.  During  the  past 
two  or  three  years  the  electro-motive  force  of  certain  dynamos  has 
risen  in  America  from  2,000  volts  to  3,000  volts.  In  other  words,  40 
lighters  have  given  way  to  60  lighters.  The  danger  ah-eady  exists, 
and  would  not  be  greater  even  if  100  lighters  are  built  in  the 
future." 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  keen  sense  of  danger  felt  by  the  Under- 
writers, after  nearly  ten  years'  experience  with  high  pressure  cur- 
rents, we  quote  as  follows : 

Rules  of  New  £ng:land  Insurance  Excliange. 

No  attempt  must  be  made  to  join  a  separated  or  broken  wire 
while  the  current  is  on. 

The  running  of  concealed  wires  to  electroliers  or  lamps,  under 
any  circumstances,  is  strictly  prohibited.  They  must  be  entirely 
open  to  view. 

Conducting  wires  should  not  approach  each  other  nearer  than 
one  foot  They  must  be  at  least  seven  feet  above  the  highest  point 
of  flat  roofs. 

Rules  of  the  Boston  Manufacturers'  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 

Company. 

Wires  should  not  approach  each  other  nearer  than  one  foot, 
and  twice  that  distance  is  preferable  in  conducting  electricity  of  high 
tension. 

Rules  of  the  Phoenix  Fire  Office,  London,  of  1887  : 

"  Where  secondary  generators  (converters)  are  employed,  and  the 
"  alternating  primary  current  is  of  high  electro-motive  force,  it  is 
"  preferable  that  neither  the  secondary  generators  nor  any  portion  of 
"  the  primary  circuit  in  connection  with  them  be  placed  inside  any 
"  building,  but  in  a  fire-proof  structure  apart." 

"  The  switches  and  cutouts  must  be  enclosed  in  fire-proof  boxes 
"  outside  of  the  building." 

**  The  whole  of  the  primary  work  (including  conductors,  second- 
"  ary  generators,  switches  and  cutouts)  should  be  so  placed  and  pro- 
"  tected  that  it  could  not  be  tampered  or  interfered  with  by  un- 
"  authorized  persons." 

APPENDIX  Q. 

Sawyer's  Eably  Ignorance  and  Subsequent  Enlightment. 
The  following  extracts  from  statements  of  W.   E.   Sawyer,  pub- 


*    £ 


£> 


t     -* 


> 


it.1 


{■^  I 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


6i 


lished  within  the  first  three  months  of  1880,  forcibly  illustrate  the  ig- 
norance, at  that  period,  of  the  experimenter,  on  whose  claims  the  loud 
professions  of  the  Sawyer-Man  people  are  now  based : 

"  The  use  of  a  platinum  as  holder  for  the  incandescent  carbon 
conductor  is  fatal  to  the  diurabiliiy  of  a  lamp."— N.  Y.  Tribune,  Jan. 
2, 1880. 

"  The  longer  the  pencil  the  more  current  required."— N.  Y. 
Tribune,  Jan.  2, 1880. 

"  To  place  less  lamps  in  series  and  more  in  multiple  is  as  hazard- 
ous as  to  go  the  other  way."— N.  Y.  Tribune,  Jan.  2, 1880. 

"  No  lamp  can  be  practical  unless  of  low  resistance." — ^N.  Y. 
Tribune,  Jan.  2,  1880. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  assertion  that  one  of  Mr.  Edison's  electric 
lamps  has  been  running  240  hours,  I  still  assert,  and  am  prepared  to 
back  up  my  assertion,  that  Mr.  Edison  cannot  run  one  of  his  lamps 
up  to  the  light  of  a  single  gas  jet  (to  be  more  definite,  let  us  call  it 
twelve  candle  power)  for  more  than  three  hours." — ^N.  Y.  Sun,  Jan.  6 
1880. 

"  Mr.  Edison  has  not  yet  learned  that  the  greater  the  resistance 
of  a  lamp  the  greater  the  power  required  to  operate  it"— N.  Y. 
Tribune,  Mar.  26,  1880. 

But  Mr.  Sawyer  could  not  always  remain  blind  to  Edison's  suc- 
cess; he  lived  long  enough  to  show  the  better  side  of  his  nature  by 
writing  a  fairly  unbiased  account  of  the  history  of  incandescent 
electric  Hghting  in  his  book  published  in  1881,  and  entitled  "Electric 
Lighting  by  Incandescence,  and  Its  Application  to  Interior  Illumina- 
tion." He  indulged  in  this  work  his  higher  literary  taste,  and  un- 
doubtedly intended  it  as  a  monument  to  his  sincerest  convictions. 
He  says  (page  71) : 

"  The  Sawyer-Man  lamps,  as  exhibited  in  New  York,  were  all 
furnished  with  carbons  of  this  character  (deposited  carbons  of  pe- 
cuhar  shape),  and  to  the  perfection  of  these  boat-shaped  electri- 
cally formed  carbons  was  due  their  comparative  success.  To  the 
necessiiy  of  frequent  renewal  and  the  time  and  rIHII   required  to 

"  produce  the  carbons  was  due  the  commercial  failure  of  these 

"  lampsy 

On  page  88  occurs  this  statement : 


« 


(( 


(( 


« 


it 


II 


H 


4 


62 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


"  To  replace  a  Sawyer-Man  carbon  required  a  workman's  time 
**  from  two  to  three  hours,  and  the  re-charging  of  the  lamp  with  ab- 
"  solutely  pure  nitrogen,  cost  about  seventy  cents,  without  taking  into 
"  consideration  the  cost  of  carbon.  It  was  therefore  an  impracti- 
cable lampJ* 


€i 


M 


The  position  of  Sawyer  and  Man  as  inyentors  in  the  art  of  elec- 
tric lighting,  and  that  of  their  assignee,  the  Consolidated  Company, 
in  the  commercial  arena,  seems  to  be  accurately  stated  in  an  article 
published  in  "  The  Electrical  World  *' : 


u 
It 
I( 
t( 
i( 
(( 
(( 
l( 
(( 

M 

ti 
« 
it 
it 
it 


"  In  1878,  W.  E.  Sawyer,  of  New  York,  went  over  the  ground 
well  worn  by  prior  electricians  and  produced  the  improvements  in 
details  that  have  been  patented  in  the  joint  names  of  Sawyer  and 
Man.  He  displayed  great  ingenuity,  but  was  bound  by  the  dogmas 
of  the  art,  and  sought  for  the  solution  of  the  problem  of  lighting 
by  incandescence  in  low  resistance  carbons,  separable  globes  and 
inert  gases.  He  produced  no  new  type  of  lamp,  but  confined 
himself  to  improvements  in  detail,  useful  only  upon  the  type  of 
lamp  then  well  known.  Some  notoriety  was  given  Sawyer's  experi- 
ments by  the  press,  but  no  more  so  than  the  inventions  of  Starr, 
Staite  and  Lodyguine  received  in  their  times  and  in  the  localities 
where  the  lamps  were  exhibited.  Sawyer's  lamp  was  never  capable 
of  being  put  into  practical  use. 

*^  The  facts  that  his  experiments  were  contemporaneons  with 
those  of  Edison,  that  the  company  incorporated  to  exploit 
them  suryiyed  the  time  when  Edison  made  lighting  hy  in- 
candescence a  success,  technically  and  commercially,  and 
that  the  field  promised  money  returns  sufficiently  large  to 
dnll  the  conscience  of  capitalists  already  ont  of  pocket  in 
the  same  direction,  account  for  the  present  existence  of  a 
company  which  manufactures  the  Edison  lamp  and  seeks  to 
shield  itself  behind  the  Sawyer  and  Man  patents." 


Nothing  can  more  graphically  describe  the  emptiness  of  the 
Sawyer-Man  claims  for  recognition  as  originators  of  any  commercial 
type  of  lamp  than  the  views  of  (1)  the  best  efforts  of  Sawyer  in  1880, 
(2)  the  Edison  or  filament  type  the  same  in  all  essential  features  to- 
day as  seven  years  ago,  and  (3)  the  present  Sawyer-Man  imitation 
thereof : 


'•i 


f 


> 


EDISON*ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


63 


Sawyer-Man  Lamp. 

The  Sawyer  and  Man  Lamp,  as 
patented  by  them  May  12, 1886,  the 
application  for  the  patent  having 
been  filed  January  9,  1880. 

Referring  to  the  letters  on  the  illus- 
tration, A  IS  a  piece  of  carbon  ^  of 
an  ohm  in  resistance  ;  the  globe  B  is 
filled  with  nitrogen  gas,  and  has  its 
base  flange  x  clamped  by  rings  and 
bolts  to  the  plate  y ;  the  cup  D  is 
filled  with  wax  ;  the  conductors  C  C 
are  known  as  "radiators,"  and  serve 
to  radiate  the  heat  generated  by 
waste  of  energy  in  the  lamp. 


Sawyer  Laiup. 

After  the  failure  of  Saivyer  and 
Man,  Sawyer  alone  produced  what  he 
called  his  "  feeder  '*  lamp,  shown  by 
this  cut 

This  lamp  has  the  burner  of  the 
old  Werderman  Lamp  placed  in  a 
Sawyer  and  Man  structure.  Like 
the  Sawyer  and  Man  Lamp  it  was  a 
failure. 


f^t'l 


Base  of  ixnola. 
Hag  material,  V 
with  two  con.  V, 
tacts  upon  it. 
Edison  Pats.  251,. 
864,  266,311,  817.. 
«8l.  264.^. 


Metal  casiiur 


OircTtit  eon. 
troller.  Edi. 
■onFM.a8MU. 


GMirfpeorfiz. 
tOFB  ami.    Edi. 


Exhausted 
Rlass  globe.  EdU 
son  Pats.  ^898. 
287,22J.      ^ 

High  resistance 
carbon  filament. 
Edison  Pat.  230.. 
26fi. 

,  Blade  of  bam. 
boo.  Edison  Pat. 
251,640. 

Heated  to  in- 
candescence 
while  lamp  was 
being  exhausted. 
Edison  Pat  26B.. 
777. 


Support  abore 
point  of  seaUng. 
Edison  Pat.  289^. 


of  socket.    Em-^ 

•imPat.26UML  . 


FlataeaL  Edi- 
aon  Pat.  ^64.086. 


Wires  sealed  in 

S'iss.    Edison 
ts.  228,896,  237.. 
229. 


Screw  threads 
to  hold  lamp 
socket  positlyely 
together.  Edison 
Pat.  261.564. 

Socket  OOD* 
tacts  correspond, 
ing  to  lamp  con- 
tacts. Edison 
Rits.  261.664. 266.. 
wIL 

Detachable 
socket.  Edison 
Pats.  251,5o4.  266.. 
811. 


Point  where 
two    parts    are 
loined  by  fusion 
PM.880JV 


^  Baseof  insnlat.  %..„ 

ing  material  with  ^^"•*»«^ 

two  contacts      '^  ' 

upon   it.    Pat. 

951.654,  366.311. 

WjSSl,  864.787. 


Screw  threads 
to  hold  lamp  and 
socket  positively 
together.  Pat. 
861,554:  socket 
contacts  corre. 
•ponding  to  lamp 
contacts.  Pat. 
961.664.  965.81L 


•J  h' 
1  I 


Detachable  < 
socket.  Pat  96V 


IB     • 


Consolidated  Co.  (Sawyer-Man)  Inftrln^omente  of  the  Edieon  Patent.. 


Sxhausted 
trlaas  globe.  Pat 
2i3.8N8  k  887.S8. 

Blown   from 

»t  glaaa.    Brt^ 
.447. 


Highrenstanoe 
carbon  filament 
Pat.lB(Lj6o;made 
of  baiubno.  Pat 
^"^1.540:  h*«ted  to 
mcandesceuce 
while  lamp  was 
beiugexhaostad. 


II 


FlatisaL  Bit 


.     Wires  aealadia 

glass. 


lR«gnlaij|Je« 

m  shape. 
86tlS7. 


Olrcult 
troUer.  Pat 


aaapipeorflK. 
ture^araa.    Val. 


THE^   KDlfcJOJNT   LrAMF*, 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


Base  of  insnla. 
ting  material,  V. 
with  two  con-  \^ 
tacts  upon  it. 
Ellison  Pats.  2.)1,. 
664.  266.;ill.  :il7.- 
63!.  264.737. 


Motal  ca.«finfr 
of  socket.     I-^li-  ^  _ 
Hon  Pat.  261.596, 


Circuit  con- 
troller. Edi- 
son Pat.  266.311. 


Oa«  pipe  or  fix- 
tore  arm.  Edi- 
son Fat.  265,311. 


Exhausted 
KlasB  Klobe.  Edi- 
son Pats.  ^2.3,898. 
227.229. 

HiKh  resiBtance 
carbon  fUamont. 
Edison  Pat.  230,- 
256. 

Mado  of  bam- 
Ikk).  ^kli80uPat. 
251..T40. 

Ht-attHi  to  in- 
candfiscunce 
whilo  lamp  waa 
Iw'in^  exhaiiHtf-d. 
Edison  Pat.  266.- 
7J;. 


Support  above 
joint  ofHoalin.fir. 
i:<ii8on  Pat,  239,- 


Flat  seal.    Edi- 
lou  Pat.  ztA.eHH. 


Wires  sealed  in 
jflas-s.  Edison 
Pats.  223.898.  227,- 
229, 


Scrow  threads 
to  hold  lamp 
socket  positively 
to^'fther.  Edison 
Pat,  251,554. 

Socket  con- 
tacts correspond- 
injr  to  lamp  con- 
tacts.  Edison 
Pats.  251.564, 265,- 
;ill. 

Detachable 
socket.  Edison 
Pats.  251,654.  265.- 
311. 


Consolulated  Co.  (Sawyor-Man)  Infringements  of  the  Edison  Patents. 


i 


Point   where 
two     j)arts     are 
loined  by  fusion 
Pat.  38U.25f 


Baseofinsnlat- 
in>fmat<?rial  with 
two  contacts 
upon  it.  Pat. 
351,554.  2(55.311, 
317,631.  264,737. 


Screw  threads  ^ 
to  hold  lamp  and 
eocket  positively 
to^f'ther.  Pat. 
251.554:  socket 
contacts  cor  re- 
8i>ondiuf4:tolarap 
contacts.  Pat 
361.664.  265.311. 


Detachable  *' 
socket.  Pat.  251,. 
664.  385.311. 


Exhausted 
-rlawj  »flobe.  Pat. 
■Jj;i.8H8  fc  227.±9l 

Blown  f  r  o  nt 
ix>t  ulnae.  Pat. 
266.447. 


Hi?h  remstanoe 
carbon  filaments 
Piit.2:{u.-255.  made 
ot  bamboo.  Pat. 
'^Sl.»4U;  h»'at»^  to 
iucaudf  Hceuce 
while  l»iup  was 
hei  uic  exhausted. 
I'at.  265,777. 


FlatsesL  Pat. 


Wires  sealed  !■ 


Irretrularities 
in  shape.  Put. 
264,737. 


Metal  cacdoff  of 
socket.  Pat.  361.. 
6ML 


Circuit 
t  roller.  Pat. 
311. 


Gas  pipe  or  fiit 
cure  arm.     Pat 
3iia,Sll. 


TlriU   KOl^OJST   LrAMP. 


i 


66 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


APPENDIX  R 

THE  WESTINGHOUSE  STOCK  BOOM. 

One  of  the  methods  employed  in  booming  business  at  the  home 
of  the  company,  where  the  stations  are  controlled  by  George  West- 
inghouse,  Jr.,  and  operated  by  natural  gas,  is  to  cause  the  stock  to 
be  listed  at  a  high  price  "  asked  "  when  no  "  bids  "  can  be  quoted. 

For  instance,  in  the  Pittsburgh  Post  of  October  12th,  1887, 
under  the  heading  of  "  Electric  Light,"  Westinghouse  stock  is  given 
as*' par  50,  bid  — ;  asked  99  >^."  These  papers  are  marked  and 
distributed  to  prospective  investors. 

It  would  appear  that  even  so  transparent  a  scheme  as  this  is  de- 
pendent for  bare  probability  upon  a  showing  involving  the  use  of  a 
fuel  which  lavish  Nature  gives  away. 

The  fact  should  be  noted  that  the  stock  of  the  Philadelphia  Com- 
pany, vdth  the  same  face  value  and  genuine  bids,  is  quoted  in  the 
same  paper  as  below  par. 

One  other  instance,  from  another  station,  owned  by  the  Westing- 
house  fraternity : 

[^' Borne  News,''  Neu)  Brunsvsick,  N.  J.,  Plainjield,  Dec.  10«A,  1887.] 

Plaiufield  I>oing:s. 

Plainfield,  Dec.  10  (Special). — The  Borough  Council  of  North 
Plainfield  last  night  ordered  the  Electric  Light  Company  to  remove 
its  poles.  This  the  Company  refuses  to  do  and  vriU  fight  the  matter 
in  the  courts.  This  Company  is  using  the  Thompson-Houston 
system  vnth  the  Westinghouse  Incandescent.  The  reason  for  the 
order  to  remove  the  poles  is  that  the  Company  refused  to  light  the 
streets  unless  the  borough  would  take  $5,000  worth  of  stock.  The 
streets  are  now  in  total  darkness,  but  the  borough  will  return  to  the 
oil  light,  procuring  170  lights  for  $3,000  per  year. 

The  method  repeatedly  adopted  in  the  organization  of  sub-com- 
panies includes  the  sale  of  apparatus  at  low  prices  and  a  subsequent 
effort  to  induce  local  capitalists  to  invest  in  the  stock  of  the  Westing- 
house Electric  Co.,  a  large  amount  of  which  Mr.  Westinghouse  re- 


> 


'r\V 


#  * 


'\ 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO.  67 

ceived  for  the  claims  brought  as  assets  to  the  treasury  of  the  present 
organization. 

Hereby  hangs  a  tale  of  v^ddespread  interest.  In  fact  the  present 
value  of  this  stock,  thus  in  process  of  unloading,  hinges  upon  the 
very  questionable  "  property  "  represented  by  certain  United  States 
patents  acquired  from  Mr.  Westinghouse.  Let  us  dissect  the  anat- 
omy of  the  organization. 

In  the  original  incorporation  of  the  Westinghouse  Electric  Com- 
pany, the  capital  ($1,000,000),  represented  $100,000  paid  up  in  cash 
and  $900,000  paid  Mr.  Westinghouse  for  patents  and  contracte. 
Great  sound  of  trumpets  was  made  over  the  Stanley-Thompson  in- 
ventions. 

The  incorporators  and  directors  were : 

Geo.  Westinghouse,  Jr 19,300  shares 

C.  H.  Jackson joo      " 

H.  H.  Westinghouse joo      " 

John  DalzeU joo      « 

Frank  L.  Pope jqo      " 

John  R.  McGinley *'     jqq      « 

John  Caldwell joQ      " 

Robert  Pitcaim ^  ^  ^         joo      " 

The  par  value  of  these  shares  was  $50,  and  Mr.  Geo.  Westing- 
house, Jr.,  received  18,000  shares,  full  paid  (!!)  and  non-assessable,  in 
consideration  of  the  transfer  of  the  patents  detailed  in  the  charter, 
which  was  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Harris^ 
burgh.  Pa.,  Jan.  11,  1886. 

The  first  of  tiiese,  the  Chinese  hair  carbon  patent,  is  the  oldest 
and  probably  the  most  valuable  lamp  patent  of  WilLam  Stanley,  Jr. 
Its  importance  may  be  estimated  from  the  fact  that  early  in'the 
business  it  wa^  assigned  to  the  Swan  Incandescent  Electric  Light 
Company  of  Boston.  Even  with  its  aid,  however,  they  failed  of 
conmaercial  results. 

Many  of  the  others  represent  methods  long  since  abandoned 
Three  contracts  also  formed  a  part  of  the  consideration  for  the 
$900,000  paid  Mr.  Westinghouse  in  stock.     One  was  with  Mr  Stan 
ley,  dated  May  20,  1884,  and  expiring  Jan.   1,  1888,  covering  his 


^ 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


«9 


services  ^'  in  experimenting  in  the  field  of  electrical  engineering,  and 
«  all  inventions  made  therein,  and  letters  patent  secured  therefor.'* 
The  others  vrere  with  Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  and  vdth 
"Westinghouse,  Church,  Kerr  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  "  for  the  sale  of 
**  appliances  to  be  made  by  the  Westinghouse  Electric  Co."  "  All 
'*  the  said  patents  and  the  benefits  of  the  said  contracts  are  stated  bj 
«  the  charter  to  be  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  organization  and 
"  business  of  this  company." 

The  records  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania also  show  how  the  increase  of  the  capital  stock  of  the 
Westinghouse  Electric  Company  from  $1,000,000  to  $5,000,000  was 
effected. 

September  15, 1886,  the  directors  resolved  to  call  a  meeting  of 
stockholders,  and  on  the  same  day  the  Secretary  issued  the  notices. 
October  7,  1886,  the  meeting  convened  and  adjourned  till  November 
4, 1886,  when  each  stockholder  signed  a  paper  waiving  the  60  days* 
notice  by  publication  required  by  law  of  the  holding  of  a  meeting 
for  increase  of  capital,  and  all  the  stock  (16,110  shares)  yoted  for  the 
increase. 

The  Treasurer's  certificate  is  here  given  in  full : 

To  Hon.  W.  S.  Stenger, 

Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth  : 
This  is  to  certify  that  by  vii*tue  of  the  consent  of  the  stockholders 
of  the  Westinghouse  Electric  Company,  authorizing  an  increase  in 
the  capital  stock  thereof  from  one  million  of  dollars  to  five  million  of 
dollars  given  at  an  election  duly  held  for  that  purpose  on  the  4th  day 
of  November,  1886,  the  capital  stock  has  been  increased  from  one 
million  of  dollars  to  five  million  of  dollars  ;  said  additional  stock 
being  issued  as  follows,  viz.:  for  sale  for  cash  at  par,  one  million  of 
dollars : 

To  George  Westinghouse,  Jr.:  Three  million  of  dollars  in  pay- 
ment for  inventions  secured  by  Letters  Patent  of  the  United  States 
No.  297,924,  dated  April  29,  1884,  and  Letters  Patent  No,  351,589, 
dated  October  26, 1886. 

John  Caldwell, 
[seal.]  Treasurer. 


^J  h 


>» 


vS    » 


^1  ^ 


<M     ^ 


State  of  Pennsylvania,') 

>-ss.: 
Alleghany  Coimty,      ) 

John  Caldwell,  above-named,  being  duly  sworn,  says  that  the 
facts  set  forth  in  the  foregoing  certificate  are  trua 

John  Caldwell. 
Sworn  and  subscribed  before) 
me  this  7th  day  of  Janu-  y 
ary,  1887.  J 

Waltee  D.  Uptegratf, 
[SK^]  Notary  Public. 

Kled  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth  on  the 
16th  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1887. 

Charles  W.  Stone, 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth. 

A  certificate  signed  by  the  Deputy  Secretary  of  the  Common- 
wealtii  accompanies  the  copy  of  the  retiims  from  which  the  above  are 
extracted. 

Stockholders  and  others  interested  can  form  an  opinion  of 
whether  $3,000,000  is  a  just  estimate  of  tiie  commercial  value  of  the 
two  patents  described  in  Appendix  V. 

Kegarding  tiie  recent  combination  of  Westinghouse,  Sawyer-Man 
and  Thomson  Houston  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  state  tiiat  tiie  Westing- 
house Electric  Company  has  purchased  a  conti'olhng  interest  in  tiie 
stock  of  tiie  Consolidated  Electric  Light  Company,  tiie  last  shares 
being  lately  secured.  The  Westinghouse  Company  is  tiius  causing 
tiie  ConsoHdated  Company  to  execute  a  series  of  advertising 
gymnastics,  including  the  farcical  purchase  of  tiie  "valuable  electric 
lampfa^tory  and  equipment  at  Pittsburgh,"  tiie  ti^nsfer  of  tiiis 
famed  institution  to  New  York ;  tiie  concentration  in  tiie  metropolis 
of  tiie  admiring  crowd  of  courtiers  where  tiiey  can  make  a  stiU 
greater  display,  and  is  compelling  the  Thomson-Houston  Electric 
Company  to  dance  to  the  same  music. 


A  r 


-^ 


70 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


APPENDIX  S. 

AXIOMS  OF  SAFETY  AND  TRUE  ECONOMY. 

Extracts  from  article  of  Thomas  D.  Lockwood  of  the  American 
BeU  Telephone  Company,  in  the  December  number  of  the  «  Electrical 
Engineer." 

"Whatever  is  worth  doing  at  all  is  woriih  doing  just  as  weU  as  it 
can  be  done.*' 

"  As  long  as  his  delinquencies  only  cuhninated  in  the  waate  of 
property  It  was  well  enough  to  keep  still ;  but  when  human  life  is 
mvolyed  (and  the  Cheap  John  himself  will  concede  that  the  humanfonn 
cannot,  when  aUve,  be  treated  with  safety  to  a  strong  cuirent  of  elec 
tncity).  It  behooves  those  of  us  who  stand  for  the  right  to  use  our 
pens  and  tongues  in  protest." 

"One  human  life  outweighs  aU  the  commercial  interests  in  the 
country.' 

«  The  remedy  should  be  made  compulsory,  for  the  apostle  of  par- 
sunony  cannot  be  trusted  with  an  option." 

"Of  course  the  moneyed  man  who  invests  is  not  an  electrician, 
and  he  tiimks  tiie  advocate  of  cheapness  is,  so  he  accedes  to  ev^ 
proposibon."  ■' 

'•  All  dectridaiis  who  believe  in  the  future  of  electricity  ought 
to  nmte  m  a  war  of  extermination  against  cheapness  in  appHed  elec- 
tnaty,  wherever  they  see  that  it  involves  inefficiency  and  danger  » 


APPENDIX  T. 

„  „  „  „  Newabk,  N.  J.,  December  2d,  1887. 

JJ .  ».  itAsmros,  Esq.,  Secy,  and  Treas.: 

Deab  Sm-I  have  investigated  the  operation  of  the  Westinghouse 
stataon,  m  Trenton.  An  ampere  diagram  would  show  a  maximum 
load  of  98  and  a  minimum  of  30  amperes  on  a  recent  Saturday  at 
noon,  to  Sunday,  at  7:45  A.  M.  Assuming  the  coirectness  of  their 
statement,  that  there  are  20  lamps  to  the  ampere,  this  shows  a  maxi- 
mum  load  of  1960  lamps  and  a  minimum  of  600.  As  the  smallest 
load  isdunngthe  hours  from  12  to  4  P.  M.,and  from  12  P.  M  to  7-46 

TlC*'  '^f°^™*^  *«  general  principles  of  the  great  loss  of  cur- 
rent through  the  converters. 

This  demonstrates  conclusively  that  after  the  load  drops  to  one- 


Ifi 


-4' 


^1      > 


^*  r 


^1    h 


u^  • 


71 


thn-d,  it  matters  not  how  few  lamps  are  in  use,  the  consumption  of 
current  is  the  same,  through  the  heavy  loss  in  the  converters. 

Through  the  use  of  tiie  60  volt  lamp  a  heavy  loss  is  also  sustained 
m  the  circuits  of  the  secondary  wires,  and  to  reduce  this  loss  the 
number  of  converters  has  been  multiplied,  so  that  nearly  every  pole 
has  two,  and  some  three,  beside  tiie  large  number  that  have  lately 
been  hidden  behind  sign-boards,  and,  in  other  cases,  naUed  to  the 
buildings.  In  a  distance  of  300  feet,  where  not  more  tiian  100  lamps 
were  in  use,  I  counted  seven  large  converters. 

They  have  recentiy  burned  out  two   alternating  armatiires    and 
have  had  pari;  of  the  Hghts  extinguished  on  two  different  occasions. 

Tours,  very  truly, 

J.    W.    SCHBOEDEB. 


APPENDIX  U. 

There  is  a  mine  of  wisdom  in  the  few  lines  which  we  extinct  from 
a  communication  by  Mr.  Chas.  Lever  to  tiie  "English  Electiical 
Review"  of  Oct.  31, 1885 : 

"As  regards  working  arc  and  incandescent  Hghts  together  it  is 
an  unfortunate  thing  that  we,  in  England,  have  ah-eady  advocates 
and  admirers  of  the  high  tension  supply  system.      During  tiie  past 
two  years,  a  system  has  cropped  up  in  the  United  States,  whereby 
incandescent  lamps  are  worked  on  tiie  same  circuit  as  tiie  arc  li-hts 
by  means  of  high  tension  currents.      An  automatic  arrangement  is 
provided  witii  each  incandescent  lamp,  so  tiiat  in  tiie  event  of  said 
lamp  giving  out,  a  resistance  equivalent  thereto  is  thrown  in  circuit 
It  is  a  system  which  has  not  made  much  headway,  and  it  is  hoped 
that  it  never  wiU.     Notwitiistanding  the   theoretical  «  bosh  "  wH^ 
has  been  put  forth  by  the  advocates  of  tiie  high  tension  system  in 
tiiis  countiy,  tiie  practical  electrician  knows  perfectiy  well  tiiat  tiiis  is 
not  tiie  field  to  work  in,  if  we  are  to  make  a  success  of  our  future 
electiic  light  supply  stations.     As  ahready  stated,  Mr.  Edison  has  led 
the  way  by  making  his  supply  station  in  New  York  a  practical  under- 
taking  and  a  commercial  success.      K  we  wish  to  be  successful  witii 
tiie  future  electiic  light  supply  stations  in  tiiis  countiy,  we  should 
act  wisely  by  foUowing  in  his  footsteps.      And,  when  these  lighting 
stations  have  developed  into  undertakings  of  any  magnitude  thB 
supply  of  electiicity  must  eventually  fall  into  the  hands  of  tiie  muni- 


-/r 


7S 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


dpal  authorities — as  in  the  case  of  gas  and  water  undertakings — ^in 
order  to  secure  the  best  results  for  the  public  benefit." 


APPENDIX  V. 

OTH£B  UNSUPPORTED  CLAIMS  OF  THE  WESTING- 
HOUSE  COMPANY. 

Some  of  the  extravagant  and  often  absurd  claims  advanced  bj 
the  Westinghouse  Company  were  taken  up  almost  a  year  ago  by  some 
practical  writer,  not  connected  with  any  of  the  electric  lighting  com- 
panies, and  handled  without  gloves.  In  his  letter  to  the  Trenton  (N. 
J.)  "  Grazette,"  Jan.  24,  1887,  this  vigorous  writer  says : 

"  An  interesting  document  has  just  been  jointly  issued  by  The 
Fuel,  Gas  and  Electric  Engineering  Company,  Limited,  and  the 
Westinghouse  Electric  Company,  setting  forth  their  agreement  not 
to  grant  exclusive  control  of  the  apparatus  or  methods  of  either, 
unless  both  are  contracted  with  ;  also  giving  forms  of  agreement, 
prices  of  apparatus  and  other  entertaining  information,  especially 
estimates  of  efficiency  based  upon  twice  the  pressure  thus  far  es- 
sayed by  them  in  practice.  In  this  manifesto  one  statement  appears 
to  embody  the  spirit  of  the  policy — namely,  that  the  magic  of  a 
method  of  limitless  possibilities  has  at  last  been  invoked.  On  page 
9  the  reader  is  startled  by  the  revelation :  *  The  alternate  system  of 
the  Westinghouse  Electric  Company,  on  the  contrary,  is  free  from 
limitations  of  any  nature.'  This  is  the  literature  which  the  long- 
expectant  world  sighs  for — something  untrammeled  by  the  vexatious 
restrictions  which  Nature  throws  aroimd  the  operation  of  the  present 
methods.  Evidently  we  have  heretofore  only  seen  through  a  glass, 
darkly." 

The  same  article  took  up  the  methods  of  the  founder  of  this 

syndicate  of  conspirators  in    prodaiming    the  acquisition  of  the 

Gaulard  &  Gibbs  patent : 

"  The  cunningly-phrased  annoimcement  sent  broadcast  over  the 
wires  of  the  Associated  Press  has  faQed  to  immortalize  the  name  of 
George  H.  Westinghouse,  as  the  inventor  of  the  vaimted  system  of 
distribution  which  is  to-day  recognized  by  every  thoroughly-read 
electrician  as  only  an  ignis  fatuus,  in  following  which  the  Pittsburg 
company  have  at  every  step  sunk  deeper  in  the  quagmire  of  disap- 
pointment.    The  enticing  glimmer  of  this  transitory  will-o'-tho-vnsp 


'U  > 


V. 


-w 


■^  t 


A    ^     ^ 


f        i 


\r 


♦  f 


<      t 


A    y 


^r 


*         t 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


73 


led  them  to  negotiate,  through  a  so-called  "  expert "  agency,  for  an 
assignment  of  a  claim  then  in  the  Patent  Office.  The  curious  coinci- 
dence of  the  couching  of  the  news  of  their  acquisition  in  mysterious 
and  ambiguous  language,  in  combination  veith  the  peculiar  and  un- 
usual scarcity  of  the  specifications  of  this  patent,  at  the  time  of  its 
issue,  have  been  naturally  enough  widely  commented  upon.  The 
fact  that  the  electrician  of  the  company  gave  some  months  of  experi- 
ment to  the  system  in  an  isolated  locality,  without  even  as  much  as 
being  able  to  teU  how  many  lamps  he  got  to  a  horse-power  expended; 
the  fact  that  while  the  company  was  using  an  exhibition  in  Pittsburg 
as  a  platform  by  which  to  mount  to  public  favor,  their  decrepit  two- 
wire  installation  in  East  Liberty  (Pittsburg)  was  transmogrified  into 
a  burlesque  upon  Mr.  Edison's  three-wire  system ;  the  fact  that  the 
Gaulard  and  Gibbs  system,  covered  by  this  assignment,  has  never  in 
any  instance  been  worked  to  a  successful  issue  by  the  Westinghouse 
Company,  and  camiot  be  so  worked  by  anybody ;  the  fact  that  it  is 
not  even  a  fair  representative  of  the  electrical  principles  sought  to  be 
embodied :  all  these  show,  as  if  by  a  burst  of  sunlight,  the  ridiculous 
and  comfortiess  situation  of  those  who,  lured  by  the  fascinating 
gleam  of  this  phosphorescent  decoy,  have  by  a  great  eflfort  reached, 
not  the  electrical  palace  which  their  fancy  has  pictured,  but  a  whited 
sepulchre,  full  of  dead  men's  bones." 

It  is  instructive  to  glance  at  the  exact  groimd  covered  by  this 
much  vaunted  patent  of  Lucien  Gaulard  and  John  Dixon  Gibbs — as- 
signed to  George  Westiaghouse,  Jr. — ^No.  351,589,  dated  Oct.  26, 
1886.     Gaulard  and  Gibbs*  specification  says : 

"  We  do  not  herein  claim  the  connection  of  the  converters  in  the 
line  in  any  other  arrangement  than  we  have  illustrated  in  the  draw- 
ings." 

The  drawings  referred  to,  where  they  show  the  use  of  more  than 
one  converter  shows  them  connected  in  series.  The  patent  there- 
fore covers  only  the  series  arrangement,  the  use  of  converters  in 
multiple  arc,  which  appears  to  be  the  only  practical  way,  being  ex- 
pressly disclaimed  by  the  alleged  inventors  as  forming  no  part  of 
their  system.  The  claims  as  a  whole,  were  refused  by  the  primary 
examiner  on  the  ground  of  lack  of  patentable  novelty,  but  were 
allowed  on  appeal  to  the  Board  of  Examiuers-in-Chief  only  as  drcum- 
Bcribed  in  the  specifications  by  this  disclaimer. 


<    r 


74 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


The  other  patent  on  which  reliance  is  placed  is  No.  297,924.     It 
relates  simply  to  details  of  the  internal  construction  of  converters 
expressly  stated  to  be  operated  in  series.      It  was  issued  April  29 
1884. 

It  wiU  be  interesting  for  the  Westinghouse  enthusiast  to  glance  at 
Patent  No,  278,418,  allowed  to  Mr.  Edison  May  29,  1883  for  «  trans- 
lating electric  currents  from  high  to  low  Tensions  "  and  to  speculate 
as  to  whether,  if  there  were  any  financial  value  to  the  Westinghouse 
claims,  the  Edison  Company  would  allow  a  competitor  to  revel  in 
undisturbed  enjoyment  of  it. 

Persistent  efforts,  betraying  latterly  the  energy  of  desperation, 
have  been  made  to  show  the  ability  of  the  manufacturers  to  run  two 
or  more  Westinghouse  dynamos  in  multiple  arc  (i.  e.,  feeding  their 
current  into  a  common  system  of  conductors),  and  thus  to  meet  one 
of  the  cardinal  requirements  of  comprehensive  central  station  econ- 
omy.  One  of  the  the  first  was  at  Carbondale,  Pa.;  then  at  Plainfield, 
N.  J.;  then  for  a  long  time  at  Buffalo,  N.  T.,  where  it  was  at  last  given 
up  and  the  main  conductors  so  divided,  Nov.  13,  1887,  that,  as  at  aU 
other  stations  of  any  great  capacity,  it  is  impossible  for  the  attendant 
to  hazard  the  operation  of  the  dynamos  by  throwing  them  accident- 
ally  together. 

A  letter  from  New  Orleans,  last  September,  describing  the  opera- 
tion of  the  Westinghouse  plant,  says  : 

"Then  again,  they  cannot  run  the  generators  in  unison  in  the 
«  same  circuit,  except  under  very  exceptional  circumstances.  The  local 
«  electrician  has  been  trying  for  months  to  get  his  machines  to  work 
«  together,  but  he  has  not  succeeded  so  far.  This  is  a  source  of  great 
"  trouble  and  annoyance,  and  handicaps  the  system  very  heavily." 

The  "very  exceptional  circumstances"  above  referred  to  are  re- 
stricted to  those  cases  where  two  dynamos,  each  capable  of  carrying 
the  entire  load  of  lamps  and  also  running  the  other  dynamo  as  a 
motor,  are  so  operated  to  convey  a  faJse  impression.  Such  an  ar- 
rangement  has  been  placed  at  Greensburgh,  Pa.,  where  two  300-Hght 
dynamos  have  been  used. 

In  consequence  of  this  peculiar  and  restiicting  feature  of  these 


^ 


V 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


n 


dynamos,  the  Westinghouse  Company  has  been  forced  to  construct 
very  large  sizes,  rated  as  high  as  2,500  lamps,  thus  practically  placing 
"  all  their  eggs  in  one  basket." 

In  the  face  of  these  facts,  William  Stanley,  Jr.,  the  experimenter 
whose  name  wiU  go  down  in  history  as  the  inventor  of  the  Chinese 
hair  carbon  (Pat.  No.  269,132,  issued  Dec.  12,  1882),  posing  as  the 
electrician  of  the  Westinghouse  Company,  in  an  address  before  the 
American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers,  Dec.  6, 1887,  when  closely 
questioned,  stated  after  much  hesitation : 

"  I  think  at  Denver,  Col.,  a  station  of  5,000  lights  is  run  with  dy- 
"  namos  in  multiple  ai-c,  although  I  am  not  sure.  The  Pittsburgh 
"  station  has  been  run  in  multiple  arc.  Our  policy  is  not  to  run  in 
"  multiple  arc.    We  prefer  not  to."--["  Electrical  World,"  Dec.  24.] 

Had  Mr.  Stanley  been  fully  informed  regarding  his  system  he 
would  have  known  that  the  Denver  plant,  though  sold  under  the  great 
necessity  of  this  multiple  operation  as  one  of  the  cardinal  conditions 
of  success,  has  been  constructed  so  that  it  cannot  be  thus  operated, 
and  that  the  station  had  not  at  the  date  of  his  address  even  been 
started.  It  was  not  put  in  operation  for  about  two  weeks  thereafter 
and  with  less  than  one-third  the  number  of  hghts  claimed  by  Mr. 
Stanley.  The  accuracy  of  the  following  telegram  can  be  easily  veri- 
fied: **  Denver,  Dec.  28.  Westinghouse  plant  started  about  week 
**  ago,  sixteen  himdred  lights  operated." 


APPENDIX  W. 

EDISON  PATENTS. 

We  need  hardly  offer  any  comment  on  the  list  of  the  Edison 
Electric  Light  Company's  patents  which  is  here  appended.  If  the 
patent  laws  of  the  United  States  represent  any  protection  what- 
ever to  the  inventor,  surely  these  must  represent  such  values  in 
the  detail,  as  well  as  in  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  indus- 
try, as  will  most  certainly  comprise  a  monopoly. 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


^ 


g'-H  hj 


^     i  4 


KDISON    COMPANIES 

Operate   Under  the  Patents    Enumerated    Below.  Granted  to 
MR.  THOMAS  A.  EDISON  AND  OTHERS. 


1  181,613 

2  214,636 

3  214,637 

4  218,166 
6  218,167 

6  218,866 

7  219,393 
8219,628 
9222,881 

10,223,112 
11223,898 

12  224.329 

13  227.226 
14227,237 
151227,228 
16227.229 
17,228,617 
18  230,255 
19237.732 
20  238,868 
21239,147 

22  239,148 

23  239,149 

24  239,150 
25,239,151 


Title  of  Patbht. 


August 
April 


29,  1876. 
22,  1879. 


(1 


22, 
August    5, 

5, 
26, 

9, 
16, 
23, 
80, 

27, 1880. 
10, 


Sept. 
Dec 


(( 


Jan. 

Feb. 

May 
it 

t( 

t( 

June 
July 
Feb. 
March 


It 


tt 
tt 
tt 
tt 
tt 
tt 
tt 


tt 


it 


4, 

4, 

4, 

4, 

8, 
20, 
15, 1881 
15, 
22, 
22, 
22, 
22, 


tt 
tt 


tt 


April 


26  239,152 

27  239,153 

28  239,372 

29  239,373 
80239,374 
31|239.745 
82  240.678 
33  242,896  June 
84  242,8971 

35  242,898 

36  242,899 

37  242.900 

38  242,901 

39  248,416  Oct. 
40248,417 

41  248,418 

42  248,419 

43  248,420 

44  248,421 

45  248.422 

46  248,4231 


it 


it 


tt 
tt 


22, 
22, 
29. 

29, 

6, 
26, 

14, 
14, 
14, 
14, 
14, 
14, 
18, 
18, 
18, 
18, 
18, 
18, 
18, 
18, 


it 
If 
It 
It 
It 
It 

II 

It 

It 

It 

It 

ft 

ft 

it 

It 

it 

It 

It 

(f 

It 

It 

II 

ft 

If 

ft 

If 

It 


Electric  Lighting. 

Improvement  in  Electric  Lights. 

Improvement  in  Thermal  Regulators. 

Improvement  in  Magneto-electric  Machines. 

Improvement  in  Apparatus  for  Electric  Lights. 

Improvement  in  Electric  Lighting  Apparatus. 

Improvement  in  Dvnamo-electric  Machines. 

Improvement  in  Electric  Lights. 

Improvement  in  Magneto-electric  Machines, 

Method  for  Measuring  Electricity. 

Electric  Lamp. 

Electric  Lighting  Apparatus. 

Safety-conductor  for  Electric  Liehts. 

Electric  Light. 

Electric  Light. 

Electric  Li^ht. 

Brake  for  Electro-magnetic  Motors. 

Method  of  Manufacturing  Electric  Lamns. 

Electric  Light. 

Manufacture  of  Carbons,  Incandescent  Lamps. 

System  of  Electric  Lighting. 

Treating  Carbons  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Incandescing  Electric  Lamp. 

Electric  Lamp. 

Method  of  Forming  Enlarged  Ends  on  CarboD 

Filaments. 
System  of  Electric  Lighting. 
Electric  Lamp. 

Testing  Electric  Light  Carbons. 
Electric  Lamp. 

Regulating  the  Generation  of  Electric  Currents. 

Electric  Lamp. 

Webermeter. 

Incandescent,  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Magneto  or  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Electric  Lighting. 

Manufacturing  Carbons  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Electric  Meter. 

Manufacture  of  Carbons  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Manufacturing  Carbons  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Electric  Lamp. 

Electric  Lamp. 

Fixture  and  Attachment  for  Electric  Lamp. 

Current  Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines ' 

System  of  Electric  Lighting. 

Carbonizer. 


■r 


t 


t 


^ 


f 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT    CO. 


77 


47 
48 
49 
60 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 


248,424 
248,425 
248,426 
248,427 
248,428 
248,429 
248,430 
248,433 
248.434 
248,435 
248,436 


Oct. 

It 

if 
(i 
ti 
(t 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 


58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
6? 
68 
69 
70 


18, 1881. 

18,  " 

18, 

18, 

18, 

18, 

18, 

18, 

18, 

18, 

18, 


tt 
tf 
ft 
It 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
tf 


TiTLK  OF  Patent. 


73 
74 
75 
76 
77 
78 
79 
80 
81 
82 
83 
84 
85 
86 
87 
88 
89 
90 
91 
92 
93 
94 
95 
96 
97 


248,437 
248.565 
251,536 
251,537 
251,538 
251,539 
251,540 
251,541 
251,542 
251,543 
251,544 
251,545 
251,546 
711251,547 
72251,548 
251,549 
261,550 
251,551 
251,562 
251,553 
251,554 
251,565 
251,656 
251,557 
251,558 
251,559 
251,696 
253,955 
266,701 
257,146 
257,276 
257,277 
259,235 
260.562 
12,631 
262.271 
262.272 
263,103 
263,133 
263,184 


98 
99 


ft 
ft 

Dec. 

tf 

ft 
ft 
tf 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ff 
ft 
if 
ff 
ft 
ff 
ft 
t  f 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ff 
ff 

Feb. 
April 

May 

it 

ff 

June 
July 


18, 

18, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

27, 

21, 1882 

18, 


ft 

tt 

tt 

ft 

tf 

If 

ft 

ff 

ft 

ff 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

tf 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

tt 

It 

ft 

ft 

ft 


263,135 
263,136 


100263,137 
10l|263,138 


2, 
2, 
2, 

6, 
24, 
27, 
August    8, 

8. 
22, 
22, 
22, 


It 


tf 
(f 
if 


ft 
ff 


ft 
ff 


22, 
22, 

22, 


ft 
tf 
ft 
ft 
It 
ft 
ft 
ft 
tf 
ft 
ft 
ft 

ft 

ft 

tt 
ft 


Fitting  and  Fixture  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Apparatus  for  Producing  High  Vacuums. 
Apparatus  for  Treating  Carbons. 
Apparatus  for  Treating  Carbons. 
Manufacture  of  Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 
Electric  Motor. 
Electro-magnetic  Brake. 
Vacuum  Apparatus. 
Governor  for  Electric  Engines. 
Utilizing  Electricity  as  a  Motive  Power. 
Depositing  Cell  for  Plating  the  Connections  of 

Electric  Lamps. 
Apparatus  for  Treating  Carbons. 
Meter. 

Vacuum  Pump. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Electric  Light. 
Electric  Lamp. 
Carbon  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Electro-magnetic  Motor. 
System  of  Electric  Lighting. 
Electric  Lamp. 

Manufacture  of  Electric  Lamps. 
Electric  Meter. 
Electric  Lamps. 
Electric  Governor. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 
Electric  Lamp  and  the  Manufacture  thereof. 
Magneto  or  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
System  of  Electric  Lighting. 

Underground  Conductor. 
Electric  Chandelier. 

Electric  Lamp  and  Socket. 

Regulator  for  D3mamo-electric  Machine. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Webermeter. 

Webermeter. 

Electrical  Drop-light. 

Socket  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Lantern  for  Electric  and  other  Lights. 

Combined  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Fixture. 

Shade-holder  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Switch  for  Electric  Light  Circuits. 

Socket  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Electrical  Fixture. 

Switch  and  Indicator  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Design  for  an  Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Combined  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Fixture. 

Electrical  Extension  Chandelier. 

Electrical  Chandelier. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Ma- 
chines. 

Electric  Lamp. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Ma- 
chines. 

Electric  Chandelier. 

Electric  Arc  Light. 


I 


r8 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


103 
104 

105 
106 
107 
106 
109 
110 
111 
112 

113 
114 
115 
116 
117 
118 
119 


263,140 
263,141 

263,142 
263,143 
263,144 
263,145 
263,146 
263,147 
263,148 
263,149 

263,150 
263,878 
264,298 
264,299 
264,642 
264,643 
264,645 


August  22, 
22, 


It 

(( 
(( 
(i 
(i 
«t 
i< 
It 
(t 

4t 


125 
126 
127 
128 
129 
130 
131 
132 
133 
134 
135 
136 
137 
138 
139 
140 
141 


120  264,646 

121  264,647 

122  264,648 

123  264,649 
124264.650 

264,651 
264.652 
264,653 
264,654 
264,655 
264,656 
264,657 
264,658 
264,659 
264,660 
264,661 
264,662 
264,663 
264,664 
264,665 
264,666 
264,667 


Sept. 


(I 


142  264,668 


143 
144 
145 
146 
147 
148 
149 
150 
151 
152 
153 
154 
155 
156 


264.669 
264,670 
264,671 
264,672 
264,673 
264.698 
364,737 
265,311 
265,774 
26,5.775 
265,776 
365.777 
265,779 
266,780 


<t 
tt 
(( 
(i 
(I 
(I 
It 
(( 
t< 
{( 
<i 
II 
t( 
<i 
(t 
t< 
(I 
ii 
(i 

K 
<C 
II 
II 
tt 
II 
It 
tt 
II 
tt 
II 

Oct 
ti 

II 

II 
tt 
It 
II 


22, 
22, 
22, 
22, 

22, 
22, 
22, 
22, 

22, 

5. 
12, 
12, 
19, 
19, 
19, 

19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19. 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
19, 
8, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
10, 


tt 
li 

It 
II 
II 
tt 
II 
If 
II 
It 

It 
It 
It 
II 
It 
II 
it 

It 

II 

It 

It 

It 

tt 

II 

It 

II 

It 

It 

II 

It 

II 

It 

11 

It 
It 
II 
tt 
tt 
It 
It 
II 
II 
tt 
It 
II 
II 
It 
It 
It 
It 
It 
II 
II 
It 


Manufacture  of  Carbons  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Straightening  Carbons  of  Electric  Inc^descent 
Lamps. 

Electrical  Distribution  System. 

Magneto  or  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Mold  for  Carbonizing  Incandescents. 

Making  Incandescents. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Vacuum  Apparatus. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Commutator  for  Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Ma- 
chines. 

Magneto  or  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Electric  Lamps. 

Coupling  Device  for  Electrical  Conductors. 

Connection  for  Electric  Circuits. 

Electric  Distribution  and  Translation  System. 

Magneto-electric  Machine. 

System  of  Conductors  for  the  Distribution  of 
Electricity. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machine. 

Manufacture  of  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machmes. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Electric  Lamp. 
Incandescing  Electric  Lamp. 
Electric  Lamps  and  Holders  for  Same. 
Maintaining  Temperature  in  Webermeters. 
Electric  Arc  Light. 
Electric  Lighting  System. 
Treating  Carbons  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 


I 


i 


1 1r 


\ 


4 


r 


)  If 


<  h 


^f 


i 


y 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


79 


167 
158 
159 
160 
161 
162 

168 
164 
165 
166 


265,781 
265,782 
265,783 
266,784 
265,785 
265,786 

265,858 
265,859 
266,447 
266,483 


Oct. 


167 

168 

169 

170 

171 

172 

173 

174 

175 

176 

177 

178 

179 

180 

181 

182 

183 

184 

185 


266,549 

266,550 

266,588 

266,793 

266,808 

268,205 

268,206 

271,613 

271,614 

271,615 

271,616 

271,628 

271,654 

272,169 

273,485 

273,486 

273,487 

273,488 

273,491 


Nov. 


t( 
It 
(t 
tt 
tt 

It 
tt 
ft 
tt 

It 
It 
tt 
tt 
tt 


10,  1882. 

10, 

10, 

10, 

10, 

10, 


tt 


Feb. 


March 


186 

187 
188 


273,492 
373,493 

273,828 


ft 


(( 


(t 


tt 


189 
190 
191 
192 
193 
194 
195 
196 
197 
198 
199 
200 
201 
202 


273,859 
274,290 
274,291 
274,292 
274,293 
274,294 
274,295 
274,296 
275,612 
275,613 
275,748 
275,749 
275,776 
276,232 


ft 
ft 
t( 

ft 
ft 

ft 

It 

ft 
ft 
t( 
II 
ft 
ft 


April 


203 
204 
205 
206 
207 
208 
2091278,417 


276,233 
13,940 
278,413 
278,414 
278,415 
278,416 


ft 
ft 
It 
ft 
tt 

ft 


May 


ft 
ft 


It 
It 


ft 
ft 
ff 
ft 
ft 


10, 
10, 
24, 
24, 


It 

ft 
ft 
tt 


ft 
It 

tf 
If 
ti 
ft 
ft 


24, 
24, 
24, 
31, 
31, 
28, 
28, 
6,  1883 

6, 
6, 
6, 
6, 
6, 
13. 
6, 
6, 
6, 
6, 
6, 


Title  of  Patent. 


6, 

6, 

13, 

13, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
24, 

24, 
29, 
29, 
29, 
29, 
29, 
29, 


<f 
It 
ft 
ft 
ft 
It 
It 
ft 
ft 
It 
it 

tt 
ft 
ft 

ft 
ft 
ft 
If 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
tt 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 

ft 
If 
ft 
ft 
if 
ff 
tf 


of 


Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Apparatus  for  the   Electrical  Transmission 

Power. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Electric  Incandescent  Lamps. 
Conductors  and  Junctions,  System  of  Distribu. 

tion. 
Electrical  Fixture. 
Electric  Light  Chandelier. 
Vacuum  Apparatus. 
Electrical  Distribution  Systems. 
Safety-catch. 

Dynamo  or  Magneto-electric  Machines. 
Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 
Manufacture  of  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 
Shafting. 

Governors  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulators  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Secondary  Batteries. 

Regulators  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Extension  Electrolier. 
Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 
Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Regulators  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Regulators  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Regulators   for   Driving   Engines  of  Electrical 
Generators. 

Secondary  Batteries. 

Valve-gear  for  Electrical  Generator-engines. 

System  of  Underground  Conductors  for  Electrical 
Distribution. 

Junctions  for  Electric  Conductors. 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

Molds  for  Carbonizing. 

Secondaiy  Batteries. 

Electric  Lamps. 

Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

The  Manufacture  of  Incandescents. 

Manufacture  of  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Flexible  Electric  Conductor. 

Connection  for  Electric  Light  Fixtures. 

Underground  Electric  Conductor. 

Means  for  Operating  and  Regulating  Electrical 
Generators. 

Electrical  Generators  and  Motors. 

Design  for  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Manufacturing  of  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Manufacturing  of  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 

Manufacturing  of  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 


> 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


210 

211 
212 
213 
214 
215 
216 
217 
218 


278,418 

278,419 
278,465 
278,535 
280,563 
280,727 
281,349 
281,a50 
281,a51 


May   29,  1883. 


ti 


July 


219  281,352 

220  281,353 

221  281,576 

222  283,270 

223  283,983 
224283,984 

225  283,985 

226  283,986 

227  2S6,350 

228  287,501 
229,287,511 
230  287,512 
23l|287,513 

232  287,514 

233  287,515 

234  287,516 

235  287,517 

236  287,518 

237  287,519 

238  287,520 

239  287,521 

240  287,522 

241  287,523 

242  287.524 

243  287,525 

244  287,532 
2451287,533 
246|288,318 
247288,454 

248  239.837 

249  239,838 


it 
(( 

(( 


250  293,432 

251  293,434 

252  293.435 

253  293,552 
354  293,553 

255  293.879 

256  294.697 
267  295,398 
258  296,185 
2591297,269 
260297,580 
261i297,581 
262  297,582 
2631297,583 

264  297,584 

265  297,585 
266i297,586 


29, 
29, 
29, 

3. 

8, 
17, 
17. 
17, 
17, 
17, 
17. 
August  14, 
28. 
28, 
28, 
28, 

9, 
80, 
30, 
30, 
30, 
80, 
30, 
80, 
80, 
30. 
30. 
30. 
30, 
30. 
80. 
30, 
30, 
30, 
30, 
13. 
13. 
11. 

11, 

12,  1884 


Oct. 

{« 

i( 
(i 
ti 
(( 
ii 
ii 
ti 
ft 
it 
It 
tt 
ti 
ft 
it 
tt 
it 
it 


Nov. 

it 

Dec. 

.t 

Feb. 


tt 
it 
II 

it 
<( 
{( 
it 

n 
it 
tt 
it 
ii 
ii 
ii 
n 
ii 
it 

it 
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it 
tt 
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tt 
it 
it 
ti 
t( 
it 
tt 
it 
ti 
tt 
tt 
tt 
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ii 
(t 


TiTLB  OF  Patent. 


^ 


it 

12. 

it 

ti 

12. 

It 

ti 

13. 

a 

tt 

12, 

n 

ft 

19, 

it 

Mareb 

4, 

it 

it 

18, 

it 

April 

1. 

it 

ti 

22. 

n 

it 

29, 

11 

it 

29, 

tt 

tt 

29. 

it 

it 

29. 

tt 

it 

29. 

ti 

ft 

29. 

n 

ft 

19, 

tt 

Apparatus   for  Translating  Electric   Currentfl 

from  High  to  Low  Tension. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Support  for  Electric  Light  Conductor. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Electrical  Measuriag  Apparatus. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 
Electrical  Generator. 
Webermeter. 

Djrnamo-electric  Machine. 
Safety-catch  for  Electric  Light  Circuits. 
Incandescing  Electric  Lamp. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Electric  Stand  Lamp. 
Electrical  Testing. 
Electric  Regulator. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
D3mamo-electric  Machine. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Manufacturing  Incandescing  Electric  Lamps. 
Incandescing  Electric  Lamp. 
Incandescing  Conductor  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Mold  for  Carbonizing. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Regulator  for  Systems  of  Electric  Distribution. 
Junction  for  Electrical  Conductors. 
Safety-catch  for  Electric  Circuits. 
Regulator  for  Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Machine  for  Electric  Conductor. 
Manufacture  of  Electric  Lamps. 
Manufacture  of  Electric  Lamps. 
Electrical  Generator  or  Motor. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 
Electrical  Meter. 
Socket  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Combined  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Fixture. 
Manufacture  of  Electric  Lamps. 
Combined  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Fixture. 
Manufacture  of  Electric  Lamps. 
Electrical  Conductor. 
Electric  Light  Fixture. 
Electric  Arc  Lights. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Incandescing  Conductor  for  Electric  Lamps^ 
Electrical  Conductor. 


i 


i 


\ 


'U 


«i 


( X 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


8i 


267 
268 
269 
270 
271 
272 
273 
274 
276 


276 

277 

278 

279 

280 

281 

282 

283 

284 

285 

286 

287 

288 

289 

290 

291 

292 

293 

294 

295 

296 

297 

298 

299 

300 

301 

302 

303 

804 

305 

306 

807 

308 

309 

810 

311 

312 

313 

814 

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816 

817 

818 

819 

820 

821 

822 

823 


297,587 
298,658 
298,679 
298,954 
298,955 
298,956 
304,082 
304,083 
804,084 


804,085 

804,086 

304,087 

805,191 

805,200 

307,029 

307,030 

307,031 

307,879 

308,801 

308,712 

308,718 

309,167 

811,181 

314,582 

317,610 

317,682 

817,633 

317,700 

818,167 

319,884 

328.572 

328,678 

828,674 

828,575 

830,244 

334,868 

335,045 

335,048 

336,099 

337,199 

337,296 

887,336 

338,883 

339,058 

339,279 

339,298 

341,644 

341,728 

341,778 

341,839 

341,990 

342,751 

343,087 

343,017 

348,371 

351,644 


April  29,  1884. 
May  18, 
18, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
August  26, 
*'  26. 
"   26, 


ft 
ft 
tt 
tt 
ti 
it 
it 
tt 


TiTLB  OF  Patent. 


(t 
tt 


tt 


Sept 


if 


Oct. 


it 

Nov. 

if 

tt 
tt 
it 

Jan. 
March 

May 

tt 

it 
it 
it 

June 

Oct. 
it 

it 

tt 

Nov. 

Jan. 

ft 

it 
tt 

March 

it 

it 
it 
ft 


April 

ft 

May 


tt 


tt 
if 


if 
ft 


June 


it 


Aug. 
Oct. 


851,866|Nov. 


ft 
it 
tt 
It 
tt 
tt 
tt 
It 
tt 
tt 
it 
it 
tt 


36, 
26. 
26. 

16, 
16, 
21, 
21, 
21, 
11, 
18, 

2, 

2, 

9, 
20,  1886. 

21, 
12. 
12. 
12, 
12. 
19, 

2, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
10, 
26, 
26, 
26, 
26, 

2, 

2, 

2, 
28, 
80, 

6, 

6, 
11, 
11, 
11, 
11, 
18, 
26, 

1, 

1, 
81,  1886. 

26,  *' 
2,  " 


if 

ft 

if 

ft 

ft 

ti 

ft 

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it 

ft 

ft 

it 

it 

ti 

it 

it 

it 


Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Socket  for  Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 

Treating  Carbons  for  Electric  Lights. 

Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Operating  Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Electrical  Meter. 

Dynamo-electric  Machine. 

Device  for  Protecting  Electric  Light  Systemi 
from  Lightning. 

System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Electrical  Conductor. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Reflector  for  Incandescent  Lamp. 

Filament  for  Incandescent  Lamps. 

Electrical  Meter. 

Electrical  Indicator. 

Combined  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Fixture. 

Machine  for  Shaving  Electric  Lamp  Conductors. 

Electric  Light  Fixture. 

Electric  Light  Conductor  for  Structures. 

Adjustable  Resistance  Electric  Currents. 

Shade  for  Electric  Lamp. 

Safety-catch  for  Electric  Circuits. 

Electric  Lighting  System  and  Switch. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 

System  of  Electric  Distribution. 

Systems  of  Electric  Lighting. 

Safety-catch  Plug. 

Dynamo  Commutator. 

System  of  Electric  Lighting. 

System  of  Electric  Lighting. 

System  of  Electric  Lighting. 

Regulator  for  Electric  Lights. 

Mold  for  Carbonizing. 

System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Eirtension  Electrolier. 
Electric  Light  Fixture. 
Shade  for  Electric  Lamps. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Electrical  Indicator. 
System  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Electric  Switch. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 
Electrical  Switch. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamp. 
Dynamo-electric  Machine. 
Electrical  Connecting  Device. 
House  wiring  for  Electric  Lights. 
Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 
Safety-catch. 

Dynamo-electric  Machinery. 
Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 


''f       f 


A  WARNING  FROM  THE 


EDISON  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO. 


824 
825 
826 
827 
828 
829 
880 
881 
882 
883 
884 
885 
886 
887 
888 
889 
840 
841 
842 
843 
844 
845 


No 


851,856 
352,691 
353,035 
358,649 
358,788 
358,915 
854,310 
854,320 
356,041 
356,042 
356,199 
357,050 
358,599 
358,600 
859,726 
860,258 
360,259 
361,782 
365,509 
865,978 
866,173 
866,174 


Datx. 


Nov. 


Dec 


(4 


Jan. 


2,  1886. 
16, 
28, 
30, 

7, 

7, 
14, 

U, 

11,  1887. 

11. 


n 
(( 
(t 
(i 
it 
it 
t« 


ii 

18, 

Feb. 

1, 

March 

1, 

it 

1, 

11 

22, 

t« 

29, 

II 

29, 

April 

26, 

June 

28, 

July 

5, 

ti 

fi. 

«( 

5. 

1 1 
i« 

<t 
ti 

41 
tl 
41 
it 
it 
it 
t* 
It 
<t 


Title  of  Patent. 


Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

Electric  Current  Meters. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 

Electrical  Testing. 

Manufacture  of  Carbon  Conductors. 

Electrical  Conductors. 

Electrical  Indicators. 

Electrical  Indicators. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 

Lightning  Protectors  for  Electrical  Conductors. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 

Incandescent  Electric  Lamps. 

Electrical  Conductors. 

Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Dynamo-electric  Machines. 

Combined  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Fixture. 

Incandescent  Conductor  for  Electric  Lamps. 

Systems  of  Electrical  Distribution. 

Junction  Boxes  for  Electrical  Conductors. 

Electrical  Conductors. 


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DUE  DATE 


^ll^l 

94 

1       / 

MAR  2  -, 

IOC  * 

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201-6603 

Printsd 
in  USA 

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COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


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'^M     7  1947 


END  OF 
TITLE 


